The Song of Awakening: White Gold
by Popper100
Summary: Legend runs deep, and myth runs even deeper. Many tales languish for eons, only to return for one last breath of life. Some die softly, others painfully. One may die without a proper goodbye. First part of The Song of Awakening.
1. Chapter 1

The Song of Awakening

White Gold

Cold. She hadn't expected it to be so cold. Bitter, not in the way you expect from the routines of life, but rather a cold that sapped any spirit from a tense, coiled spring and made it lethargic in action. She walked in this cold, breathed in this cold, consumed and enveloped this cold until there was little that could be said to be left of Ruby Rose but cold. On a journey such as this, there was not much to be said. And not much anyone wanted to hear.

"So the last anybody has heard officially is that the kingdoms are still avoiding war?" the green clad warrior questioned.

"So far, but in that last village I heard too many people whispering that Vacuo was marching east toward Vale," the maiden in pink answered. "There's so little we can trust now without the CTS."

Ren and Nora, a pair as unlikely as a tame Grimm, they were right out of one of those sappy children's videos. Well, they were, but now nothing but grim purpose forced them to march on. The old spark was still there, a friendship, perhaps even a love that refused to go out. But it was trounced by the need to focus on the journey, the need to find answers to this tragedy that had befallen them. Ruby couldn't help but envy them. They held onto each other, unmaimed and driven toward something together. She marched with them, but also marched alone.

Perhaps, not alone though. Ahead of the three strode a young man, sandy haired and armed in a simple way that belies his nature as a Huntsman. He was perhaps the one who Ruby could empathize with the most, losing nearly as much as herself. Jaune once had nothing more to care about than his own team and his own growth. That was before the tournament, before he lost a gold treasure he only knew he had just before it was too late. He survived, only to reap such reward as ruin and death with little hope of salvation. Now there remains a man, a leader to drive what remained of his comrades toward an uncertain future.

Funny, how much she had changed. Just a little under a year ago she was chosen to lead a team all older than her. Weiss, Blake, and her own sister, Yang. So she rose to the occasion and cast off some of her childhood. Ruby had found a part of herself she didn't know and nurtured it, giving the same advice she used to keep her going to Jaune when it came time. She grew when it came time to confront Blake's past, she grew when the city came under attack. Before there was any time to reflect on the things left behind, she was forced to leave everything behind. So she strode forward, forever changed into the woman she is now.

Jaune hadn't thought much for two months now. He hadn't given his heart time to heal, nor had he pondered what it was he was doing with the rest of them. He simply marched forward, surrounded by grief held at bay with raw determination. The forest hummed quietly in the winter air, life slowly making its way toward the inevitable spring and rebirth. So too did Jaune make his way toward answers, any that would put his mind to rest.

"How long have we been on the road?" he asked flatly.

"About three hours now, should we rest here?" Ruby replied. She had it just as bad as himself, maybe even worse. And still she carried on in a way that would fool anyone to her grief. Jaune didn't know how she did it, that unending well of strength and resolve to do what needs to be done. All he could do was soldier on, trying his best not to crack for the good of his team. What remained of his team.

"Yeah, sure. I can see a small clearing just up ahead" he answered.

It was clear as day to anyone that he hadn't slept well, hadn't had a true rest in near two months. The taste on his lips was still there, the last memory he had of her. The last thing she ever did for him. Jaune laid his gear down next to a stump and prepared for the long silence that always ensued when he rejoined the group. He wasn't ready to let the grief invade his soul yet, not ready to let that scar form. For now, he would simply exist to exact vengeance any way he could.

Ruby had refused to believe that anything was predetermined from the day she was accepted to Beacon, instead relying on her own prowess to make her own outcome. But twice in one day was she reminded that she couldn't do everything, couldn't save everyone. But before the end of that day her influence would save someone, something. A giant Grimm, and maybe even a wicked woman. Frozen, according to her uncle, by her own hand using something she didn't know even existed.

"Why are we even going to Haven?" she found herself saying.

"For answers." Ren stated.

"To do something, anything to fix this mess." Nora whispered. She may have been taking this harder than Ren. "This wasn't how it was supposed to be."

Jaune sat there unmoving. He still wasn't ready to acknowledge Pyrrha's death, how he felt about her. Ruby knew that feeling, she didn't want to acknowledge how she felt about Blake's desertion until much later. She didn't want to feel the pain her sister was in back home. But she did, and she grew to accept it and put it behind her for the sake of her journey. Now there wasn't much to feel other than the sense of dread for the future.

The forest was silent, not even the calming hum was around anymore. Dread hung over the group like a blanket ready to suffocate any unwary soul. A twig cracked, and everyone sprang to their own combat stance. Ruby held her Crescent Rose high, prepared for the first Grimm attack of the journey. What she saw was disarming to the point of madness. Standing before her and the rest was a young fawn, but it didn't shy away or even avert its eyes. It stood with the pride and manner of a full stag, demanding that the intruders in its land flee before its awesome might.

It reminded her of someone, someone she watched die.

And then she watched it again.

Jaune couldn't believe his eyes. A fawn, nothing more than a kid in this dark world stood against a wall of blades and guns. It stood there unflinching. It was more than he could take, and everything since his arrival in Beacon replayed in his mind. His initiation, his placement as team leader, his follies and triumphs. And her. The treasure he lost before he could even comprehend what she meant to him. The kiss that shouldn't have been, and forever haunts him with his failure to act.

The fawn stood there, and he saw what he couldn't bring himself to see.

Then there was no fawn, only the black and red monstrosity he had been trained to defeat. It had snatched the fawn up in an oversized claw, rending the noble creature thoroughly before tossing it aside to move toward its real goal. Jaune stood perplexed, shocked at the scene before him, the perpetuity of his suffering in the real world where only his mind had once dared to venture. A nightmare replayed before his waking eyes. A well of fury, the deepest parts of his soul hidden for the sake of sanity, burst forth until there was nothing in the world but the Grimm in his view. All of his sorrow would be placed onto this beast, as he was to strike down the enemy so he would strike down his pain.

Ruby was shaken at the viciousness of the Grimm before her, but also confused as to why it had attacked now. Two weeks on the road with no attacks and indeed, no sign of any threatening Grimm. And now, of all times it attacks not only them, but an innocent animal. Ruby was pulled from her reverie by Jaune's bloodcurdling cry, as he flung himself at the bearlike creature. She watched the man fly at the beast with no regard for his safety, swinging in a manner more akin to a butcher than a fighter.

She watched him fight, and noted that Ren and Nora were equally shocked by their leader. He began with a vicious side strike, following into a backhand swing to right himself. The Grimm ignored his blows and slashed back in a typical animal manner. Jaune began weaving more and more combos into this fight, changing from a maddened man into something altogether familiar. The twist of his blade, catching claws on his shield to close the gap, it all had a feel of Pyrrha's style to it. Less elegant and more robust, it felt like the very soul of her friend had manifested in his fight.

Little by little, the Grimm was pushed back, slowing and growing more sloppy in its movements. Jaune recovered from a straight blow to his shield and ran forward, angling his blade along his shield. A coup de grace. He charged headlong, and stabbed the beast where its heart would be, recovering and rolling away while the beast slumped forward and sank to the ground. They all stood in silence, waiting for the Grimm to vanish. It seemed to take too long and Jaune began shaking, perhaps finally realizing everything that had happened. Before Ruby could make her way over to him, he had turned his back and walked toward the fawn. His gait was unsure, and he began to slouch, letting his arms hang limp with his weapons. He let all of his pain spill out into the open air, every part of it on display for the world to see. Ruby couldn't take it anymore.

"It's not your fault," she yelled at him, "Pyrrha wouldn't want you to live just for revenge!" She couldn't want that, there was so much more to her. She may be unsure, with little time to be herself and even fewer people to treat as such, but Jaune was the one who gave her every ounce of the person that she wanted to be. Ruby felt she owed it to Pyrrha not to let Jaune waste himself in such a forlorn way. She had to make sure he began looking forward to the future, just as she had to make sure she was ready for it. She hadn't quite let her guard down when the grizzly beast began to stir and sprang back up and toward Jaune with death in its eyes. Before anyone could react, the beast slammed to the ground and skid to a halt some feet before Jaune. In its flank was a spear, ornate and ancient, yet familiar and advanced.

Extraordinary. Many times had she been described in this manner, when she began showing prowess unbecoming of someone her age. When she found she could manipulate metal to a degree one wouldn't expect out of a trainee. When she took on the mantle of Huntress and dedicated her life to the prosperity of others. But now what would they say? She had transcended even her fate and strode once more on the waking world, something no one had told her could happen.

Through the forest she walked, making her way in the shadow of another group both familiar and foreign. They were her charge, self imposed by her own choice and her own heart. She had been given a second chance to right her wrongs and devote her life, at what cost she didn't yet know. She had been awake for a month now, and seen her world in ruin for a month now. She awoke on the tower, bare and alone save for the frozen visage of a monster she had vague memories of. By her was a frozen bow, a memento of a time before her destiny. She arose and stood to the scene of a barren city, a barren school.

The journey down from the tower was arduous, her semblance seemed just outside her grasp. Perhaps it was for the best, she had relied on it for so long that a good rest would be ideal, lay her head down and sleep... no, she must continue. Pyrrha descended the tower, her luck tested many times as she plead for the tenuous hand holds to bear her weight. On the ground she found the area free of life, no humans, no fauna. No Grimm. The weight of the scene was tremendous, the ability of her enemy immense and terrifying.

And yet there was no fear. She strode forth, the singular command ringing in her mind.

"Find Glynda." She walked through the town, determined to see this one purpose through, the burning drive that had ignited upon her awakening beginning to fan to life. The sound of rubble crashing nearby brought her to a trot and in a short time she was face to face with the stoic woman. Approaching Glynda, the veteran Huntress turned and fell back in horror. Was she so ghastly? There were no mirrors on the way here, much to her chagrin.

"H-h-how are you here?" Glynda sputtered "You died!"

"I'm here because I am, just as I was told to find you." Pyrrha replied flatly. There was really no more to it than that, she was back for a purpose. Her destiny was real, and she would see it through to the end. "I hope you know why I'm here?"

Her words rang clearly through the desolate streets, as if spoken much louder than they were. The woman regained her composure, visibly straightening and, oddly enough, brightening entirely at Pyrrha's words. "Indeed I do know, I just didn't think it would happen in my lifetime. Please follow me." Glynda began walking away at a brisk clip, the energy that was gone when Pyrrha arrived returned in full force. They walked toward the tower, where her entire world had come to a screeching halt. Passing the route up, they traveled down into the familiar basement where even the last hopes of peace were dashed. Glynda stopped and stared at a place on the floor, scarred by forces that only now Pyrrha could comprehend.

Moving past the scene, and past the pods containing dashed hopes, Glynda guided her toward a blank wall. A quick flick of her crop and the wall parted, revealing a still lit part of the building. Down they descended into the very bowels of the earth, and still deeper into the sanctum of a man who knew far more than his fair share. Pyrrha walked in silence, apprehension building about what she would find in such a well guarded secret. Glynda marched forward without so much as a murmur, but with a visible pride that could have lit the corridor itself.

Finally at the foot of the descent they came to a stockpile of ancient artifacts. Machinations at first glance that looked primitive and beneath the Huntsman of the day. On closer inspection the workmanship and inner machinery was second to none, equal to the finest weapons Atlas could spawn. Glynda walked up to an opulent armoire, and spun around to stare Pyrrha squarely in the eyes.

"Once I give this to you, there is no turning back. It is a symbol that only the old and infirm will understand, but also one that will speak volumes to the young who will come after us." She spoke with deadly severity. "You are the one it was built for, through the time that Ozpin has guarded it he has searched for its inevitable heir. Many have worn the style, even come close to the very words the legend spoke of. None have been down here to receive it. Until you."

"I understand," Pyrrha had no more to say than that.

Glynda opened the chest and turned back. "You understand. You will have the hardest fate, for the mortal coil doesn't bend so easily to allow you here. There will be times when you will wish to return to your deserved place. You must not go until your task is done." Glynda began sizing Pyrrha up for additional garments. "And, you must understand, you will have to go. No matter how hard it is, you must go, with or without your heart's approval."

Pyrrha walked the forest resplendent in armor received that day, a gift from ancestors of ancestors who could not know who would make the sacrifice, or what she would sacrifice. Glynda had told her where her team had ended up after the attack. Pyrrha followed them for a time, making every preparation to come back and protect them on this new journey. But each day had the same pattern, with Ruby walking with Ren and Nora while Jaune strode ahead in a straight eyed lock step. She couldn't come back yet, so she waited.

This day had started like any other. She awoke in a startled huff, being surprised to be alive once more. As her collective senses returned, her purpose returned and she staved off the need to return to sleep once more. She scanned the area for the group and found them packing for the days progress, without words. Without joy. For a week and a half they had been like this, presumably since they started the journey. As they began walking Pyrrha found her eyes drifting toward Jaune, and then back to Ruby. They both were dealing with grief in their own way, and both needed time that was slowly but surely running out.

They had come up to a clearing when they began to slow up and began taking positions to rest up. Pyrrha had been focusing on Jaune, feeling the agony of not being able to simply take away those pains that had to be there. She touched the part of her exposed chest, the hole still there where she had been fatally pierced.

"Some things won't heal, some things will not go away. You have to be prepared for the worst to come and steel yourself against even further atrocity," Glynda had said, pointing to her still tender wound. She had been explaining the legend that had brought about her armor's sealing as well as the purpose to her resurrection. That time had been a blur, words and commands, advice and apologies for her allotment. Now was a more peaceful, if no less painful time. Pyrrha stood by a tree just out of sight, watching as her friends, her... family wrestled with demons known and unknown. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw a fawn bound up to the edge of the clearing and pridefully walk into it. All three Huntsman were at the ready in admirable time, a small pride in her training welling up inside her for Jaune.

Just as quickly as the scene had formed it was shattered by a bearlike Grimm, charging the fawn and fatally rending it. Pyrrha tensed as she saw the beast was of elder stature, though not quite old enough to realize it was outmatched. Before she could decide whether to intervene or not, Jaune sprang forward with a roar that could only be described as grief incarnate. She watched the sandy haired man begin combat with the beast, noting his usual sloppy approach to fighting. Then she saw him grow, using techniques and movements she herself had taught him. The small pride began to grow into an overwhelming tide.

With a final blow to what she could only assume was the heart region Jaune rolled out of the way and stood at the work he had done. Pyrrha watched as he stood there, and watched as he let go of his anger. He slumped, and walked loosely toward the fawn that had been thrown. It was time to return, she felt it in her heart that it was now or never to give him at least some closure. Pyrrha had left her hiding spot and began walking when the Grimm stirred back to life, finding a last reserve of strength to attack a defenseless Jaune. Without a second thought she lined up the throw and hurled her spear, sealing her decision in blood.

Ruby stood in disbelief, watching the Grimm finally disappear and a familiar spear fall to the ground. She regained her composure as the owner came into view, readying her weapon without a second thought. Before her stood a dead woman, something that nothing, no one had ever prepared her for.

"Who are you?" she screamed, adrenaline pumping through her veins. "Why do you look like her?"

"Because I am her, although not quite as you remember," the doppelganger replied.

"That isn't possible, we saw your circlet, we know you burned to ash," Ren argued

The armored woman began to shudder slightly. "I am who I've always been, I am Pyrrha Nikos," she continued.

"Then why are you here?" Nora interrupted. "Why come back now?"

Ruby glanced over to Jaune, he was still standing limp over the fawn, oblivious to the scene unfolding behind him. If this was some trick, some illusion she wanted him to give her a sign, anything that could right her world. Jaune still stood there, now tears streaming down his face. He wasn't going to be any help in this situation, and she wasn't prepared to handle this. There was only one way to handle this, one way to draw out the truth and pull Jaune out of his self-inflicted misery. She hoped she wasn't throwing his life away.

"If you are Pyrrha, you can prove it. Fight Jaune."

The forest grew still once more, Pyrrha had begun shuddering intensely while Ren and Nora stared in disbelief at Ruby. "This is insane! You're sending Jaune to his death," they shouted, "you have no idea if this is a trap!"

He had shut himself off from his grief. He lost that wall, and now he was drowning in his own despair. Then he heard a familiar voice behind him claim she was Pyrrha, and stand by her claim in the way only she could. Ruby's demand rang inside him clear as a bell, it was time for him to face this test like so many others. The protests from his team grew in intensity. He turned and stared the claimant, no, the true woman in the eyes. He knew the answer as soon as he saw her.

"I'll do it, I know her best and I can tell you if she is the one and only Pyrrha," Jaune proclaimed.

He gazed on the armored woman. She wore near the exact same apparel, though instead of bronze, it was a whitened gold color. Instead of bare shoulders she wore ornate pauldrons, elegant yet sturdy. The circlet he had left behind in Beacon was back with her, though engraved with foreign patterns and clearly of a rich make. Attached was a piece of cloth draped back along her hair and covering the fiery mane that had long flowed free. It was the armor of someone out of legend, someone who could right the wrongs and end the evils of the world. It was hers, and she knew it was hers no matter the price she had paid for it.

"We'll find out if the person matches the appearance," Jaune stated as he brought his weapons to bear "no holding back on me."

"Jaune, I-"

He cut her off with a yell, a yell that would not have been his before today. He put his heart, his very essence into the fight, taking all the lessons Pyrrha, this woman before him, had taught him. Pyrrha leaped out of the way, retrieving her weapon in the process and readying her shield. They were similar to her previous weapons, yet of a quality that would come only once in a generation. Jaune wheeled around and began a three step combo to land within her reach, rendering the spear useless. She reacted by rolling the blows off her shield and batting him away with the shaft of the spear.

This fight was different than his training with her. He went into a high-low series of attacks to break her concentration, something that normally he would feel a slight tugging and correcting. None of that was present, and Pyrrha instead batted the blows away with her spear shifted to a blade. It was still no use, he didn't outclass her then and still couldn't, let alone how tired he was from fighting the Grimm. Jaune poured himself deeper and deeper into the fight, reminiscing on all those training nights. A weave here, a stab back to a dancing step there. On the fight went, Pyrrha never attacking. She didn't have it in her, not to hurt him or to hinder his progress.

Jaune lined up for another two step to batter her defenses.

"You've gotten better, Jaune," Pyrrha said with a breath. He felt all the life leave him, his will to fight drained to nothing. The fight was pointless, this was his partner. This was the woman snatched before he could say the things he wanted to say, do the things he wanted to do. Jaune felt his grief well up again, and he ran. He ran through the clearing, toward the forest, toward anything and anywhere where he could bleed out his soul from the events of the last three months.

Pyrrha didn't know what emotion was most overwhelming, her pride, her relief, or her sorrow. She had held back as much as she could to keep him from getting hurt, the fight with the Grimm being foremost on her mind. Jaune was reckless, mad, and still grieving. But she could feel that he trusted her already, that she had passed the test by simply being. She could feel that he wanted to get through this fight with her before letting go of everything, and she also felt that it was time for her to start acting like the Pyrrha she knows she should be.

"You've gotten better, Jaune," she said with a breath. It had slipped out, a compliment she felt was innocuous enough get by with his fragile state. Instead, his entire being seemed to come crashing into himself, he dropped his guard, then his weapons. And he ran from her. Pyrrha could only stare at her fleeing heart, still prepared for his next attack. The torment of the past month, her fate, her duty, her desires refused to back down. She sank down to her knees, feeling that soft reminder to sleep eternal once more. No, she couldn't. But what couldn't she? Her body trembled, wracked with a grief only she would ever truly know.

A small body was nuzzled next to her, holding on as if for her very life. Ruby was clinging to her shoulders, sobbing uncontrollably. Looking over, Pyrrha could see Ren and Nora in a solemn embrace as well, letting every ounce of guilt and misery wash away in a sea of tears.

"Y-yo-u're really back?" Ruby sobbed. That's right, she is so young to be experiencing death and war. "How? Why? … no, not right now. There is time for that later," she held on tighter "don't worry about Jaune, I think he just... needs time to find himself."

"I'm... sorry. Sorry it took so long for me to come back," Pyrrha mumbled, "I thought it would be best to wait until everyone had become more like themselves. I didn't want to-"

"You didn't, whatever bad things you thought you did now, you didn't. Coming back isn't a bad thing, just... something everyone will need time to take in," Ruby said, regaining her voice as she spoke.

Pyrrha stirred back to life and regretfully pushed Ruby back and to her feet. "I have to go to him, there's... so much to say," Pyrrha whispered. So much had happened, so many emotions in such a short period of time. It was time to cast all of them to the side, confront them, and embrace them. As she began to walk, the fawn caught her eye. Such an innocent and strong being, taken in the prime of its life. She found herself next to it, kneeling and touching its neck. Pyrrha called deep upon herself, reaching where her semblance once was and grasping something new. The fawn began to glow, then evaporated much like a Grimm, yet it dissolved into white.

"I'm sure you can explain that?" Ruby said behind her.

"Not really, it just felt like the right thing to do," Pyrrha replied, feeling a little woozy.

"Well, it's not like you have time to waste now, Jaune's waiting," Ruby said coyly. For how young she is, she sure is resilient. Perhaps this day won't end in tears and sadness. Pyrrha strode away, confident in herself once more to do what she was born to do, what she was destined to do.

The sandy haired man had been sitting there by a frozen river, racked with sorrow for so long he looked like he was going to faint any minute. He'd ran from something, someone who he couldn't handle apparently and now he couldn't do anything but let it out. _Reminds me of someone I know, after a time so long ago. Seems I can't escape it._ The sandy haired man was still sitting there when an armored woman walked up and out of the forest toward him, hands held tightly together. She hesitated, perhaps pondering what to say, what to do?

 _I'd just go in and tell him how it is, no matter how strange and unbelievable it was._ _But then, I'm not so young anymore, not quite at the stage where love is such a new found force._ The woman shook her head, seemingly shaking off the worry of how she thought she looked. She unclasped her hands and strode toward the man, purposely staring straight at him. Stopping several feet away, she waited for the man to grow quiet, to cry his tears and quiet his soul. The watcher had to shift in his perch to get a better view on the proceedings.

"Jaune... I'm here. Again," the woman spoke with a forceful undercurrent, as if she hadn't quite made herself believe her words. "I'm back, and... I want to come back. To you." The man stirred but otherwise didn't move from his spot. _Come on kid, get that stubborn butt up and listen to her._ The woman began to move forward, with a little shake to each step. _She's giving it her all to stay focused in this, poor girl._ The watcher rustled a little, enough noise to make the man glance up.

The woman moved in a bit faster until she was nearly on top of him, the difference in their stature stark as day and night. He looked out over the river until he noticed her shadow. Without moving he sunk down into himself. _It's not working._ She stood there gazing down on him, and without warning sat next to him. They stayed like this for some time, never looking at one another.

"I don't know what to say Jaune, what to do, how to be," the woman said softly "I just want to go back to the way it was, when I could rely on you being there, when I could open up to the first and maybe last person to truly treat me as a person." The woman began shaking, hugging herself closely as she let all her weaknesses out in front of him. "There's... just nothing I can stay certain in. Except you. And in the end, I wasn't certain enough to have you by my side when I truly needed you. I'm sorry."

She began to get up, her will clearly spent as she left the last of her heart sitting on the frozen river next to the man. A hole in her chest the watcher hadn't noticed made a bitter sense to him now, as he ruffled his wings in frustration. _Fool kid, don't let her walk away._

"Pyrrha," Jaune uttered. She looked back at him, he at her. They held each others eyes for a moment. "Hello again." Her trembling stopped and she sank down to be by the man she had trusted her soul to, the one she wished most to accept her return. Qrow decided now was a time to leave, kicking snow from the branches he was on, he took off into the sky. _You sure do have an eye for greatness Ozpin, I'm sure he'll exceed those expectations of yours._


	2. Chapter 2

White Gold: Returning

Cold. Not the cold of a life spent alone amongst others. But the cold of a journey among people both foreign and familiar. Pyrrha walked amongst her friends, her team, and her love. But she also walked alone, a solitary figure defying history's own devices. She wore the trappings of a hero, masterful armor passed down to her from time immemorial to mark her coming. Pyrrha was no longer who she thought she was, no longer the gifted student who held girlish fantasies of grandeur. She was a legend in her own right, brought back for a purpose that was only vaguely known. As surrounded by love as she was, alone was still the foremost feeling to Pyrrha Nikos.

"Still no Grimm in the area. Why do you suppose that one attacked yesterday?" a young girl draped in red piped up to her right. Ruby Rose, a tight ball of energy held back by the limits of her station, walked with her and was the first to truly accept her return. Pyrrha's chest tightened, it wasn't that long ago that she was alone watching her whole world walking by her. "It isn't like we are the scariest group of people walking in the snow covered forest. Just the only ones."

"Sometimes it's better not to question what's been given to you and simply accept gifts you didn't ask for," Ren, capable and calculating as always. He never seems fazed by the trials of life, though there was a deeper side that Pyrrha hadn't discovered yet. "Let's just keep moving forward, we're bound to find another village along this road."

"We don't all have that flair to accept any hammer thrown at us with a smile."Ruby remarked, turning her head toward Ren to give him an exasperated look.

"I only throw them out of concern. And besides, when have you seen him smile?" Nora wryly questioned. She was the emotional volcano to Ren's placid sea, a proper fit only in a mad man's dreams.

"I don't think I'd want to make you concerned then Nora," Ruby intoned, veering away from the energetic woman slightly.

Pyrrha's last colleague was still quiet, perhaps with good reason. Directly to her left walked Jaune, the man she had come to place her entire trust in, everything that was to be her foundation in this new journey in life. He was sturdier than she remembered before the incident, perhaps owing to him preparing for this journey for a month. He was much the same as the day she left, still trying his best to be a good leader to his team. But there was a difference now, an innocence lost that could never be replaced. Pyrrha walked uneasily next to him, replaying the morning in her head and trying to make sense of it all.

A cloud, perhaps a haze lay in front of Pyrrha's gaze. She hadn't felt so much clairvoyance in purpose as now yet she still couldn't see the path in front of her. The taste on her lips had not yet vanished, as dry as her mouth had become for the coming task. She walked up the steps toward the tower, firm and steady in her heart and in her purpose. Inside the lobby was dark, the elevator too damaged to be of any use. Pyrrha stretched her mind, feeling the unseen tendrils of her semblance probe the metal box. _A one way trip with destiny by my side_ , she thought walking into the elevator. Focusing her mind, she propelled the contraption with a mighty thrust, sailing toward her fate with an iron heart. _You'll live to see the sunrise this day, that's all I can do for you all._

Jaune had lain awake for a few minutes, staring at the woman just a few feet away from him tossing in her sleep. _Pyrrha, is this what you've been going through since you've been back_ , he thought with a heavy heart. There wasn't a day that he hadn't woken up in a sweat, and even now he didn't sleep as well as before that fateful day despite having one of his life's shattered pieces back. They lay in a tent to themselves, Pyrrha using an extra bed roll he had brought on a feeling. She was still as wondrous as the day he met her, still someone who took her own stories and put them to shame with her actions. His heart was still burdened with how he hadn't stayed, hadn't forced his way to be by her side in that final moment.

Pyrrha began tossing violently for a few moments before springing upright and wildly looking around the tent. Jaune had no time to react before she locked eyes with him, hers dilated and intense enough to bore holes through his head. Pyrrha rolled out of the bed toward him, snatching her blade up and flinging the blanket the opposite way. Jaune had just gotten upright when he found the deadly edge of her blade to his neck, feeling a light pressure under his chin. His mind raced, trying to piece the evidence together, trying to ignore the obvious that this was an elaborate trap to kill him and his friends.

"Who are you!" Pyrrha said with steel in her voice, "Why are you here next to me!" She began to look frantically at her surroundings again. "I shouldn't be here, not with you, not now."

Jaune slowed his breathing, watching the woman he'd come to love panic at the mere thought of being here in this place, perhaps even at being alive. _I don't know what to do, what to say, even if I should do anything at all._ His mind raced with options, whether he could accomplish any of them being far from his thoughts. Pyrrha began shaking her head, as if trying to ward off the dread that had overcome her. She stopped, and began focusing more intently on Jaune, scrutinizing every detail of his face. Her eyes had grown cold, like the hunter stalking an especially hated prey.

"This isn't the Jaune that I knew, he wouldn't be this hard, he was always a kind and gentle person," Pyrrha began tensing as she spoke, "you are nothing like that, an imposter to confuse me and further any schemes you may have." She began tipping the blade toward the point, preparing to stab the prey that she so loathed. "I have to protect everyone, it's all I can do."

Jaune had reached a point of clarity, understanding a little of Pyrrha's burden. The last few months had been such a tumultuous time for him he hadn't stopped to think what she had wanted, why she pushed him away at the last minute. His life had meant more to her than anything. Slowly he reached up, placing his hand on her cheek to calm her broken mind. The moment he did clarity returned to Pyrrha's eyes as she glanced down to the blade prepared to end his life. She dropped the weapon, horrified at her own actions. She tried to pull away, but Jaune kept his hand to her cheek and slowly she collapsed into his arms, spent from the maelstrom of emotions.

"I-I'm so sorry, I had no idea this... this isn't how it-," Pyrrha began murmuring.

"It's ok, nothing heals overnight. Just take your time, I'm still here, all of us are," Jaune felt the tension leave her as he spoke.

"It's just that I've been traveling alone for so long, I thought... I thought that the mornings were just a flash, just a brief disorientation. Not... this."

That had been his morning, and now he walked beside the woman who held a blade that had kissed his throat. She hadn't spoken to anyone since, and he'd made no motion to bring up the incident with anyone else. It didn't feel like something that should be shared at the moment. Looking over to the others Jaune could tell their spirits were sailing higher than just the other day. Ruby was suspiciously walking just outside of Nora's reach, while Ren had a half grin he was failing to hide. The sound of snow crunching beneath their feet was a constant companion to the quintets ponderous travels. Nora was slowly pulling her hammer free of its carrier, extending and letting it drag on the snow covered road beside her. As she walked, a small mound of snow was forming in front of the hammer that Nora was molding into a ball shape.

"Y'know Ruby, sometimes you just need to chill," Nora warned as she wound up for a full swing at the snowball she'd formed. Ruby had turned around just in time to witness the hammer connect and send a frozen bullet straight for her. Under a cover of rose petals Ruby jumped to the side and unhooked her scythe, using it to sweep the ground of snow around her into Nora's face. With her enemy blinded, she sped around her to scoop up a handful of snow and deposit it in the hood of Nora's rough cloak. Running over to be beside Pyrrha, Ruby waited as Nora shook the snow loose from her hair and face before beginning to feel the cold settle in. She reached for her hood to warm up and was greeted with an icy gift.

"I'd rather stay warm if it's all the same to you Nora," the ball of whimsy proudly replied. Jaune turned to see Ren beaming in pride at the exchange, taking in the sight of a defeated and cold Nora. As Ren turned back to revel in his joy Nora tipped her hammer and swung the shaft up to his neck, halting his progress with a grin.

"Something funny Ren?" she said with a devil's smile, "or maybe you're just happy you're off the hook?" Jaune turned back to Pyrrha as Nora began eying up her next victim, finding the woman still in her own thoughts. He could guess what she was worrying over, and found his thoughts drifting toward the darker outcomes that could have been. _No, it wasn't going to happen that way, no matter what._ He reached over and grasped her hand, trying to take some of the pain away with his touch. Her green eyes came up to meet his, speaking words of anguish and pain that her mouth would never form.

"Don't worry, we're all still here. I said it would take time, but that doesn't mean it's going to be time alone," his voice had the timbre of someone he didn't recognize. A survivor's, but also a fighter's, Jaune felt that it was appropriate. Pyrrha's expression softened, letting out some of the ails of her long journey. She leaned into him, letting him carry some of the weight for a time. He welcomed it, a piece of himself finally letting go and returning to form a new whole within his being.

Qrow strode the forest, keeping his eyes steadily scanning the farthest reaches for threats to the group he followed. There hadn't been a sighting since yesterday, an omen he hadn't the foggiest idea to its meaning. The man traveled in the same manner he had always traveled, light and intent on his goal. His sole extra baggage being a memento of a friend long since gone. A fate he wished was false, a fate he searched for the final answer to. His gaze drifted out once more, touring the trees and shadows for anything that could be a danger. _Nothing, not even a rogue fox wandering in the cold_ , he thought before turning his gaze back to Ruby and her friends.

Ren and Nora were walking like two strange wolves forced to travel to the same destination. No, not quite that far, as an undercurrent of friendliness marked the two out as playfully ignoring each other. Ruby walked at the far end of the group, peering over at Nora in the same way she had peeped at Yang when she'd left a "present" for her in her shoes. _Never did like to stay out of trouble that one, not like I can say any different_. Nora shot a look that would shatter wood into splinters with its intensity, and Ruby retreated to her own jaunt, playing innocent at all costs.

In the center of the group was the most disturbing revelation that Ozpin had ever made to Qrow; even now he couldn't quite take the sight in completely. Pyrrha Nikos, the candidate to receive the remainder of a Maiden's power, the woman who had given her life to try and stop a demon in female form. And here she walked with his niece, with a team reborn from the ashes of disaster. Ozpin had told him that even if they failed she had every hallmark to be the reborn champion from the legends. But, of course, she had to die first.

By her side was a young man, a charlatan who had snuck his way into a prestigious academy and blended in with the elite. Jaune Arc had no notable skill in combat, no recorded use of a Semblance, he wasn't going to last without swiftly shaping up. And so he rose to the occasion, leading his team to success and glory. _You saw something there Ozpin, said he'd be great and would be needed in the coming days. That's why you let him stay, let him grow,_ Qrow hashed out the thought and decided to trust his friend of so long. Taking a long pull from the flask he kept on him, feeling the warmth surge through his throat and down the limbs of his body, he went back to the task of keeping them safe.

Walking with people had been a pleasure she'd been denied for so long that when she had it back, it felt uncomfortable to enjoy again. Pyrrha hadn't thought about the small joy she took for granted before losing and regaining it. What else would she discover that had been important to her daily life, that hadn't been foremost in her mind until it was too late? She walked hand in hand with Jaune, still feeling shamed over her actions this morning, but also knowing that she was just returning to her old life, and her wounds needed time to heal. Pyrrha squeezed Jaune's hand, eliciting a slight cry from the man. _He's still just the boy I'd loved before, even if he tries to hide it behind a tough exterior,_ she mused as he tried to hide his pain behind a goofy smile.

They'd walked for hours, passing much of nothing on the way toward the next town, and eventually Haven. She didn't quite know what to expect when she eventually had to rejoin a normal group of people, people who would question her and demand of her. For now, only the ache in her feet and the chill of the air on her face mattered. The trees off to the right began thinning as they walked, eventually giving way to a large placid pool of water. It looked like a pristine place to rest and regroup for, what she hoped was, the last leg of the trek.

"We've been walking for quite a while, why not take a break over by that pond?" Pyrrha asked. She was surprised when everyone else turned to her with slight wonder and amusement in their eyes. After a second she realized it was the first thing she'd said all day and let out a small smile, trying to hide the discomfort.

"Might be a good idea, let's get unpacked," Ruby agreed.

"I'll take a look around, make sure we've got no unwelcome guests," Jaune added, handing his bag to Pyrrha before taking off toward the opposite treeline. Pyrrha walked with the others, taking in the calm atmosphere around the pool. Taking her time, she wandered the shoreline toward a group of fallen trees and stumps. _So much has happened and I've finally found a way through life with someone,_ she found her mind wandering. A lightness enveloped her chest while she walked toward the trees and her friends. Taking a wide stump for her own, she dropped off Jaune's bags and her own light travel gear.

"So here we are again," Nora breathed, letting the miles fall from her shoulders, "another day on the road, how are you taking it Pyrrha?"

"Honestly, I'd just like to wash some of the grime off from the road. I didn't take the same path as you, didn't stop at any villages," Pyrrha admitted. She hadn't really given much thought about the haste she had used to make her way back to her team.

"As good a reason as any to stop over here. It really is beautiful out here, not something everyone is privileged to see."

"Of course. I think I'm going to go wash up then." Pyrrha left them to shake off their fatigue and prepare some of the food remaining in storage. Taking a look over the water to the other shore she spotted the trotting figure of Jaune searching the tree line. The lightness in her chest returned and she couldn't help but notice her hands coming back together in front of her. _So this is why everyone always said I should have just told him_. Turning back to the pool itself, Pyrrha walked up to the waterline and peered in. The face staring back wasn't hers, at least not the face she'd gone to the academy with, not the one she'd eventually met her fate with.

 _So this is what people will see now, what they have to believe in?_ She bent down to examine herself further and see if the old her was still in there somewhere. The hole in her chest hadn't closed and was still tender to the touch. A reminder of what was. But then the armor she wore gleamed in the afternoon sun with an air of rightness, a beacon for weary eyes to rest and regain their dignity. A symbol of what will be. And yet, her face fit the new life she'd been gifted with. The harsh reality of a coming war that had been lain at her feet. Pyrrha felt a tremble, she felt fear at the daunting task that whispered in the back of her mind and was only hinted at by Glynda. Still, she washed her face and took another look. Fear was nothing to be ashamed of, it was only human to worry a little about the future. The face staring back was just somewhat different, closer to her own if only a little.

Stepping away from the pool, Pyrrha sat and collected her thoughts, reminding herself that she was still human and still able to feel everything her friends felt. She gazed out over the reflecting pool, taking in the tranquil scene that made a mockery of this cruel world. Almost like it spit in the face of a vicious beast ready to make its kill. Pyrrha turned her thoughts toward her self and for the first time began to truly examine the gifts she wielded and wore. White with a tint of yellow. Once, before the people around her had begun taking an immense interest in her, in the early days of her childhood she saw the weapons of a huntress. Bronze, beaten and polished to a sheen, it looked like gold to the young girl's eyes.

An imperfect gold, just as she wore an imperfect white to a war that could only lead to a darker time. Pyrrha turned her gaze to her weapons. They were so like Milo and Akouo that she couldn't believe she hadn't copied the design from them. Just like that time so long ago her old weapons were gone and she had been gifted a new extension to herself.

"So much has been determined for me, given to me, expected of me. My life feels like someone else's tool, a plaything in some grand game being played just out of sight," Pyrrha began murmuring to herself. She hadn't taken the time to question her actions, just followed the piercing commands that had shouted inside her skull. "But these? They were given no significance, no grand explanation of symbol to endure. Just a weapon to kill, and a shield to protect." She turned the blade around, scouring it for any identity and only found the same intricacy matching the shield and her armor. "I may not be my own person now, but you are mine. And you will not be faceless."

Pyrrha sat in thought for a time, pondering a name for a weapon she had only used to fight a dying Grimm and a grieving man. The word formed in the back of her mind, and she shuddered at the feel of it. As if it pulled at the very existence she was clinging to with every fiber in her being. "Thnitos," she uttered, touching the hole in her chest and turning away from the violent instrument to her shield. It was solid, and wore with a heft that felt like the weight of a titanic beast on her arm, on her shoulders. It protected and allowed her the life she needed to accomplish such eclectic goals. "Athanatos," she proclaimed, allowing the name to reverberate around her with a pressure unlike the airy Aura she and all humans were accustomed to. Pyrrha sighed in relief, feeling more grounded and assured that everything would turn out for the better.

"So that's when we ended up on a speeding train, running straight into Vale at full bore. Not what I'd call a pleasant trip," Ruby recounted, leaning away and stretching out. It was good to be able to finally talk about more trouble free times. Despite the attack that had happened after the ride. Looking back over to Pyrrha she felt the same swell of emotion as that day on the tower, bubbling just at the edge of control. Why did it have to happen like this, with so much pain and loss? "And... I'll finish that up in a minute, I need to take care of something," Ruby stated, shuffling away uneasily.

"It's ok, take all the time you need," Ren offered.

Nodding, Ruby turned to confront the disquiet in her heart. She watched the woman while marching toward her, noting the way she looked over her weapons. Almost like she was searching for something to grab hold of. Ruby walked quietly toward her, replaying yesterday over in her head, trying to forgive herself for the callousness she had been forced to wear. _I don't want to become someone I wouldn't recognize, even for everyone else,_ she grimly thought. Stopping just within earshot, Ruby prepared to announce herself and face her own inner demons.

"Thnitos," a word that Ruby shied away from exited Pyrrha's mouth. It felt familiar, like the touch of cold steel to bare skin. Unwanted, but used. "Athanatos," Pyrrha stated, louder than before and pulling Ruby more upright, filling her with a warmth akin to her closest companions. She stood there as Pyrrha sat back and gazed across the pool, staring into the expanse of the forest before them. _How could she always stay so strong when the rest of it was crumbling?_ Ruby found an envy of somebody that she only passingly knew and wished was more a part of her.

"Hey, mind if I join you?" Ruby asked as she stepped up. The white clad woman looked at her with a soft expression, letting warmth flow from her face as she nodded her answer. Ruby took up a seat on a nearby rock, settling with a thump. "I... wanted to talk about what's been happening. All of this madness, everything that's gone wrong."

"I'm not sure what I can tell you that you don't already know, but I'll try," Pyrrha had a downcast look as she spoke.

"Jaune spoke of... a pod. And a woman inside another one connected to it?"

"Yes, I'd been there before and it wasn't supposed to be something anyone knew about."

"Why were you there in the first place?" Ruby felt a flush on her face as she spoke.

"It was supposed to be Ozpin's ace, his trump against whatever Cinder was planning. But I... I didn't know what to do, if I would still be me afterward," the woman was holding herself and fighting back tears, "I couldn't do what was needed."

Ruby sat and let Pyrrha regain her composure, rolling over the events in her mind. She'd been in the thick of the fighting and only broke off for her, so why did it feel so futile? "So why did we fight at all? Why didn't he tell us this was coming?" Ruby felt her emotions boiling over, "Why did my sister have to lose an arm and a friend?" She was staring into Pyrrha's eyes, searching for answers to the questions she found she hadn't come to peace with. "Why did you have to die?"

The white warrior looked past and through Ruby. She had the look of pain coursing along her face and resonating in her eyes. Ruby got up from her seat, walking to the water's edge, trying not to let the force ruminating inside her escape her grasp. Looking out onto the pool, she could see her own frightened visage gazing back at her. Then, for a brief second she could see the friends, her team, behind her smiling like before.

"Why did I die?" Pyrrha said with new found authority, "for the same reason you came on this journey. I gave my life willingly to slow a monster. I'd wager, given the need, you would do the same." Pyrrha stepped up beside her, adding her reflection to Ruby's own. "We chose this calling, to protect everyone. The same calling that drove you up the tower to my side." Ruby could make out the people in the pool once more, this time broken and beaten while she stood like a bastion before them. _A life she would gladly give for them,_ she thought to herself.

Pyrrha turned to walk back to the circle where the smells of food, wafting from a travel pan, began stirring more base desires. "Pyrrha," Ruby mustered. Turning to look the champion in her eyes, taking in everything that she would one day embody, only a simple thing remained.

"Thank you. For coming back."

A rumbling sound, the momentum of an unseen call pulling the beasts toward one point, one purpose. Grimm for a time, not fighting, not searching, simply traveling. It was an elder seeking a new berth to produce, making its way by the call pulsating in the distance. Unheard, still felt. Over by it was a herd of younglings, swiping outward every so often to the tune of baited calls. Miserable, the little things would most likely die, and still the elder would follow the call. Across cold and wet, moving without fatigue or end. It wasn't far now.

The road wandered on in front of Ruby, she felt the bulk of this journey standing on her back and weighing her down with the very nature of times persistence. But the journey wasn't hers alone, and she took solace in the people she had come to trust, to treasure. She marched beside Pyrrha, the two listening to the inane conversation Nora was holding between herself and the two men. A light breeze whistled through the woods to take what little heat was available. Ruby shifted her gaze over to the rest of the team and tentatively felt at the pressure emanating within her. _They are my charge, and I'll die before anyone of them falls,_ she vowed. Ruby turned her gaze back toward the road, but caught a light smile out of the corner of her eye from Pyrrha. A small weight lifted from her, knowing that Pyrrha had truly returned.

After a time the breeze stopped bringing fresh scents, instead transferring only the stale air that had been so common around Emerald Forest back during Ruby's initiation. An uneasy quiet fell among her friends, even the normally casual walk Nora had became measured and controlled. It wasn't right, there should have been some stray Grimm around. The knot in Ruby's stomach hadn't loosened since they'd last been on the road. Nothing was at the farthest expanses of the woods, yet she still felt that knot working its way through her.

"Hey, hold up," Ruby called, stopping to take a more commanding position. The group slowed and turned to her with knowing eyes, feeling the same dread that had persisted since yesterday's attack. "Let's take a minute and look around. I don't think it's a coincidence we haven't seen anything for so long now."

Pyrrha stepped up with Ruby, letting her presence be felt in the cold air. "I agree, while I was traveling to catch up to you I ran into nothing along the way, save for some animals." The statuesque woman motioned toward the wider area, "we need to make sure there isn't a greater horde of them waiting for us to stumble on." Letting her words steel the group, she focused on Jaune. "Are you sure there was nothing out there when you searched by the pool?"

"Positive, no tracks, not a single Grimm even at the very reaches of the forest."

"Alright, then we need to stay on guard," Ruby let the air settle before turning to Jaune. "Your judgment will do better here than mine, how should we go about this?"

"We're gonna need to fan out, the road being our center point." Jaune motioned for a wide V, shifting his focus to Nora. "We'll need someone who can hold their own in the center, think you can do it Nora?" The vivid Huntress nodded her agreement, letting a grin creep across her face. "Good, you'll also be in charge of signaling the opposite side if someone runs into something." Jaune brought his gaze over to Ruby and Pyrrha. "You two will be on the ends, move back toward the center if anything turns up."

"We'll go like this for half an hour, move fast and steady. If it's safe, well, let's just thank the lucky stars that got us this far." Jaune unhooked his shield and sword and, looking straight at Pyrrha, motioned his team forward. "Stay safe everyone," Jaune commanded. Ruby watched as the object of his words sprinted off in the opposite direction. Pulling herself inward, Ruby tapped into the well that was her Semblance and pushed outward. The feel of wind on her face soothed her as she sped forward toward her position. Jaune was running with the same purpose to her right, keeping a surprising pace from what she remembered of his abilities. He'd come so far since the tournament and she felt a sadness for the loss of the goofy boy he was. That time was long gone.

Fifteen minutes of loping through the forest, keeping a weather eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Pyrrha let her mind run blank, feeling the simpleness of purpose guide her as she moved through the forest. _He wears leadership well,_ a vagrant thought skittered off the calm. But it was true, he had come to this conclusion without any second guessing. The forest still smelled of a staleness reminiscent of the empty halls she'd wandered. That time's grim reverie to the land rang out in her mind like a wail in the dead of night.

When did she wander empty halls? Was her head playing tricks on her again? Pyrrha kept her pace even and her eyes peeled for the obstacles that could creep up and grab her. _When was I in an empty hall in an empty nation?_ The thought of an empty kingdom chilled her to the core, letting out the basest fears she held. A world like that was what she wanted to fight back against, what Ruby wanted to fight against, Jaune as well. Something that Cinder had worked her entire life to bringing about. And yet, Pyrrha didn't blame the woman, something that escaped reason itself. But in her final moments she thought she saw the hint of doubt, a will to rebel against the fate she had been dealt.

A whiff of dampness brought her out of her head. To her right three black shapes were running with her, tracking by the look of it. This was what Pyrrha was looking for, secretly hoping to let out some of the pent up anger since her awakening. Taking a quick look to her left, marking that the way to Ren wasn't yet blocked with anything, she pivoted her arc toward the shapes. Making a straight line toward what she could now tell were Beowolves, she unhooked and readied her shield. A hundred paces away, she skid to a halt on one knee and brought up her blade shifted to a rifle. Thnitos spat death at the beasts as they scrambled to adjust course.

A round fell to the flank of the smallest creature, yet it shrugged off the strike and charged with its comrades to the waiting woman. Pyrrha let fly with a handful more rounds, before taking a stand against the charge. Catching the claw of the first Beowolf she swung up the side and sprang off its back. Back to a blade she slashed at the two underneath her while she flew through the air. The blows glanced from armored hides, not quite precise enough to sink deep and sure. Twisting in the air, Pyrrha planted her feet into the landing and launched herself at the trailing monster. Instinctive muscles grasped for the piece of her that was sealed away, her Semblance still outside the fingers of her mind. _No matter, this isn't anything I can't handle_. She launched into a series of strikes, swinging in close arcs to remain inside the beast's reach.

On she went, lavishing more intricacy into the attack, sneaking a thrust into the movements that had defined her for so long. And still, it was imprecise and less effective than normal. Finishing with a stab under the jaw, she retracted to watch the creature slump downward and moved her focus to the other two. They shuffled around, keeping an eye on her but clearly distressed at something. Pyrrha dourly walked forward, shield raised to deflect any would be opponent. The Beowolves snarled and slunk back before turning tail and breaking away from her. Pyrrha lowered her guard, letting it sink in that she'd been able to at least cope without her Semblance.

A flicker of white at the edge of her vision caused her to turn, briefly seeing the dissipating Grimm corpse. Then the feel of claws and fur struck her shoulder, and she found herself flung to the ground. Gasping, Pyrrha looked up to stare into the maw of a massive Ursa intently moving to continue the onslaught. It's figure was covered in chitinous growth, and the scars of survival were rampant along the thing's body. Hefting Athanatos, she gathered herself up to defend herself. The monstrosity before her stepped up and hefted a massive paw with murderous intent. Pyrrha slid close in and , pulling back with her now shifted spear, plunged the tip into the minimal gap between hairy armored plates.

The spear bounced off the rightmost plate, gouging the elder monstrosity along countless other grooves. Her shield still up, Pyrrha narrowly caught its claw with the balance of the shield-face. Retreating with a parting stab, she circled the Ursa trying to pinpoint an angle of attack. _Wait, this isn't what we agreed. I was just supposed to find them, not try and fight the whole world._ With a wrathful snarl resonating throughout her body the beast leaped forward, sensing her doubt. Pyrrha spun out of the way, leaving her parting gift of another two scars along its carapace. Turning toward the point she'd marked earlier she took off running toward Ren's path.

The sound of crunching snow was all the warning she received. Monstrous claws filled her vision moments before instinct kicked in and she caught the blow along Thnitos' shaft, flinging Pyrrha and the weapon away. Red filled her vision followed by shining stars as the impact to her head made its presence felt. Her eyes clearing partially, she could see the Ursa striding over to her with a self-confident gait. _Can't run, need to get to Ren, this thing is too tough to finesse,_ she ran through the list as she stumbled to her feet. Pyrrha could see that the monstrosity was closing for a kill, and gripped the haft of Thnitos. It wasn't there.

Too late had she realized her hubris, thinking that she could fight the world alone with nothing more than her skill. A quick glance revealed her spear laying a short distance away, between her and the shambling obstacle. The pull of sleep eternal tugged at Pyrrha, demanding to be noticed and acknowledged. She tensed, ready to spring forward and make a break for her weapon to put up the last of her resistance.

Shots rang out. Ricochets sprayed off the hide of her opponent, throwing the cocksure beast off balance and shifting its attention away from her. Pyrrha leaped to her side, scrambling toward the tool that kept her life her own. Grabbing the spear, she spun around to confront her foe, to finish this game she'd begun. Ren was there, ducking, weaving in between the enemy's claws, taking any small strike he could. Pyrrha sprinted to the opposite side, drawing the monster's gaze off of Ren. Her partner laid into the Ursa's flank, carving away at the plates that had deflected Pyrrhas best efforts.

On they fought, dividing the monster's attention and chipping away at its considerable defense. Ren rolled underneath a deadly swipe coming up beside Pyrrha. He jammed both blades of Stormflower into a tiny crevice on the creature's hide. Pyrrha saw the opportunity they needed, and reeling back, thrust with every ounce of strength left into the gap he'd created. The spearhead disappeared into black fur, then the haft driving further in until it stopped with a clank. The Ursa straightened and let out a final snarl before toppling over trying to turn on them. Pyrrha wrenched Thnitos free, letting the fatigue settle into her body from the fight.

"Are you ok?" Ren asked with critical eyes.

"Yeah... sorry. For not trying to follow the plan."

The man simply took her arm, draping it across his shoulder and bearing the bulk of her weight as they began moving toward the center of the line. Pyrrha let herself be pulled along, finding her solace in the rhythm of travel. A blast in the air took her out of her own mind, as she looked up to where it had originated. A pink cloud hung in the air a fair distance away from where she and Ren were. Looking back toward Ren, they shared the weight that came with their shared profession. Pyrrha shrugged off Ren's help, opting to ignore her body's protests and push ahead. Taking the lead, she began to trot after the site of the smokey cloud. Behind them a mist of white flecks floated gently up to the sky, seemingly at peace.

Jaune kept his eyes set forward as he traveled over rough terrain, keeping up a heady pace to try and get back to Nora. _She's fine, she said she'd be._ Nora's signal could mean one of two things, either she's in trouble or someone found something. They'd been searching for nearly the entire thirty minutes, and nothing. Ruby hadn't come over to his path and he'd been about ready to pack it in when the grenade burst forced his attention back to his team. He glanced behind him, searching for the sprightly young girl who'd be able to relay anything he could think of.

Searching in vain, Jaune turned back to his thoughts. _At the very least we know where the end of this trek is. A village, big one by the look of the wall_. He wasn't sure whether it was ill timing or providence that he'd spotted the wall moments before the signal had sounded. His grip tightened on the hilt of his sword, preparing for the inevitability of conflict. Closing in on the road, Jaune let his mind empty and burst from the treeline. Frantically running his eyes up and down the road, he set his sight on the scene he'd honestly expected.

Standing with a grin plastered from ear to ear, Nora was surrounded by craters dotted in a semi circle pattern. Her hammer held aloft on her shoulder, Jaune managed to catch her eyes sparkling with a joy more common with children than Huntresses. Sheathing his weapon, he took a more relaxed look around. Ruby was off to the side of the road, several hundred yards ahead of his own position. Ren and Pyrrha both had exited near Nora and were taking their time to inspect the newly minted road modifications.

"Jaune! You should have seen it, these two Beowolves came flying out of the woods. Well, they came out right in front of me and just froze when they saw me." Her expression began to worry him as she got back into the frenzy of explaining the encounter. "So I decided it was a good time to play a game, whack-a-grimm. The first was a bit of a pushover, but the second decided to put up quite a fight, darting every which way." She was getting extremely worked up by this point, coming close to reenacting the tirade in earnest.

Jaune couldn't help but smile, being drawn in with the enthusiasm his companion had for "squishing" her unwitting prey. Ruby had finally walked the distance back, wearing the same look of concern that told Jaune she'd seen the wall in the distance. Looking over to his two other comrades, his good mood faded as it became clear that they had found something more than a couple of Beowolves. Steeling himself for the worst, he made his way over to the two haggard warriors. At least sanctuary wasn't far away.

"So, what happened?" Jaune started in. Pyrrha had a look of pain strewn across her face that told much of the story. Nora huffed in annoyance at the interruption of her tale, not wanting to go back to the drudgery of reality.

Ren broke in before he could press further. "We found a stray Ursa, not a young one either. It had to have lived through a large number of fights before we came across it." The man didn't have the same calm, casual way of speaking he normally did. "It must have caught Pyrrha off guard as I arrived with her fighting it to a standstill."

Putting aside the issue of what it was doing there, Jaune mulled over the implications of an older Grimm wandering around alone. "You said it came from out to the far right of the road, then there must be some larger group around close by."

"We need to get to the next village then. I saw the wall out in the distance, we should be able to get there before an hour or two," Ruby chimed in, and Jaune nodded in confirmation. "Alright, I'll take the lead, let's get going before any more strays show up."

Ruby Rose had chosen this life, chosen to become something more and something less. She hadn't really thought about the consequences of her choices until lately, letting the decisions of her elders push her along. As she ranged ahead of her team, her mind jumped from one event to the next tying herself to the fabric of history. The wall loomed ahead of her, not far to run now. Ruby scanned the forest to her right, looking past the treeline into the distance. An inky black line marred the picturesque view, marking out the path of an enemy she'd known her whole life.

On she went, leading her team, keeping them safe from the evils in her own way. Before long she was standing at the edge of the clearing and the run up to the village gate. The tops of buildings, tiled and well built, peeked over the wall like a child making sure his closet is safe at night. On a prominent hill just a little ways to the left of the gate stood a tower with two bowl like protrusions pointing in nearly opposite directions. The wall itself was in fine shape, weathered by the test of time but not deteriorated like something abandoned and left to rot.

Ruby heard the footsteps behind her slow up and casually walk up to her back. Turning, she looked at the weary but ready eyes of her team. _So much to take in, and now it looks like this'll be a short stop with that black plague in the distance,_ she grimly accepted. No matter, it was what she'd chosen, and the consequence was hers to own and triumph over. "Let's go, not much further before we can rest."

Walking out of the treeline, Ruby could feel her chest tighten as she took in the imposing sight of the wall. This village was important, too much had been settled here out in the open for it to be anything else. Approaching the fortification, small figures began moving up above with alarming alacrity.

"What's your business here?" a voice called down from above.

"We're Huntsmen, making our way to Haven," Ruby called back, "We need to rest and replenish our supplies."

"Hold on for a moment," one of the figures on the wall shuffled out of sight. A moment passed, then another. Yelling broke out, the kind that felt like an argument but had the air of someone simply trying to make someone understand. A new figure appeared, waving at the others. "Open the gate!" came the call. Creaking filled the air as weary gears sprang into action, leveraging the slabs of metal banded wood inward.

Inside stood a very world weary woman, leaning on a rifle the height of a man plus some. She wore a white half coat, or rather a coat with her right arm entirely exposed up to the clavicle. To her left side the coat ended in a collar high enough to cover her mouth and nose should she look in that direction. Walking up to Ruby in jackboots to the thigh, the woman gave her a stern once over, taking in the tired frame she'd been pushing to arrive here. Giving a similar time to each of her comrades, the woman pirouetted around and walked a short distance into the threshold.

"Well, better get in here then, don't want this door open all day long now." The sharp remark had Ruby walking lightly into the village as helmeted men scrambled around greasing the gears of the great door. _Guess that comment wasn't just for us,_ Ruby gratefully realized. With the gate closing up behind them, the woman spun around again to level her gaze at Ruby's entire team. "Alright, seeing as you all are traveling together, must be a full team moving out. Who speaks for you lot, who's leading?"

"I-I am, ma'am," Ruby heard herself say, trying not be intimidated by the woman's brash tone, "I'm Ruby, and this is Pyrrha, Jaune, Ren, and Nora." Her team made their pleasantries with the same nervous uncertainty. Save for Nora, who seemed to be eying up the mystery woman as competition in the future.

"Well my name's Marly. Marly Gideon, though most everybody just calls me Gideon. So I'm guessing you've got orders to move out to Mistral and figure some of this mess out? Probably come from Beacon itself if you're on foot." The woman called Gideon gave Ruby a grin revealing the top of a scar marring the left side of her mouth downward to her chin.

"Well, we're not really, uh, our mission is..." she didn't quite know how to say they were on their own if Gideon's first expectation is an order. The gnarled woman's grin seemed to stretch into a scowl. "We're... we..."

"We're going to Mistral to link up and receive our orders there," Pyrrha burst in. Ruby looked over and gave her her best serious face, trying to impart as much authority and thanks as she could.

"Right, we're taking a boat over since airships are out of the question with all the Grimm around Beacon."

Gideon eyed her again, before taking the edge off her gaze and welcoming fellow warriors. "Well, you didn't have to be all nervous about that. Must be fairly new to running around out here if I'm making you nervous." Taking a step to the side, she swept her arm over the street in front of her. "Welcome to Passage, the most important rat hole you've ever lain your eyes on. Save for Atlas itself of course." Gideon turned toward a fairly large building and started to walk, striding with the self-importance only a veteran of many experiences could hold.

"We're heading toward the inn right now, you'll do best to remember its spot because I've got things to do. Not gonna stop mind, just making sure you know the place a bit." Her clip was fast enough that Ruby had to keep her head straight and focused to keep up. "It's good you showed up, I can get some new info from HQ... Beacon that is. Our connection with the port and Vale city are just fine, but aside from our local data, nothing is going through on the CTS."

Ruby's heart felt gripped by a fist of ice, realizing so much hadn't been told to everyone. "Gideon, there's... there's been an attack. The relay tower is down. Destroyed." Her eyes watered at the thought, of her home being so crippled.

The woman didn't miss a beat, keeping the imperious pace she'd adopted. "Well then, wouldn't want that getting out to everyone would we? Might cause a mass panic, and then we'd be up a proper creek." She snapped her head over to a younger boy carrying several crates. "Hey! Those go to the eastern block, they have plenty up north." Returning her attention to Ruby, Gideon swept her arm to the side at an intersection. "Up that way is market street, tell 'em you've got official business and they'll cover most of the cost."

"Thank you, for your hospitality. But, why are you here? It isn't often a Huntress stays in one spot like this for long, not when it seems like they've got things so well prepared."

This time, Gideon did miss a beat, stumbling slightly at the words Ruby had innocuously spoken. Her grimace was plain as day behind the blank face she put forth. Still, she kept up her march down the street, pointed straight toward the northern wall. Ruby peeked back at her team to seek any help with the situation they found themselves. Only commiseration and concern reflected back at her, letting her know that they had as much knowledge here as she.

They moved through the town, passing people on their way to mundane or important jobs, living life without a care to the greater ills of the world. The northern gate loomed in front of them, decidedly worse for wear than the southern barrier. A staircase lay next to it, and Gideon began climbing up with a lack of the enthusiasm she'd shown earlier. Following her in silence, Ruby couldn't help but smell the stale air as she ascended to the wall precipice.

Cresting the battlements, she stood in horror at the scene before her. The run up to the wall was scarred with the marks of firearms, and pieces of wood and shrapnel littered the ground all around. But out in the distance was the true nightmare that had come true too many times in recent months. A line of Grimm, marching in one direction, the same direction Ruby and her friends had intended to go. Gideon stood beside her, a scowl touring her face like a scared traveler in dangerous lands. She clenched her rifle, holding back anger and sorrow over what Ruby had confirmed for her. No one could call for help to the outside world, and the Grimm were moving en masse toward a lifeline of the kingdom.

"This is why I'm still here, because these good people are right in the warpath. No one can hear them except for the target of that deadly horde." Gideon's face emanated the rage she'd held in check for so long. "And if you five want to make it to Mistral before the port town collapses you're gonna have to move tomorrow. Take a long rest, and savor the fact that we haven't seen anything really nasty yet. Stray Deathstalker was the last thing we took care of." She adopted a wry grin, stating, "now that was a small bit of fun."

It wasn't going to end, they'd chosen to fight and a fight was staring them in the eye. Ruby had her fill of chaos today, and decided that now was the time to look forward to the morning after, to let her team rest and recover for the arduous journey. Turning back, she caught Pyrrha's eye gazing out at the death that marched silently before them. "Don't worry, we may be the only people going that way. But we're also going to be the last one's they ever see," Ruby declared, refusing to let the alternative live in her mind.


	3. Chapter 3

White Gold: Living

Cold. Not the cold of an anxious life trying not to be thrown from the only place he'd found true friendship and acceptance. But the cold of trying to be someone else's steady ground, their unfailing vessel on the ruthless ocean. It was a cold he had known for a short time, but one he'd wished against better sense for, the chance to at least try. Mostly though, he just felt cold from the winter's bitter bite, despite being in a bed within a well to do establishment. Jaune tugged at the blanket around him, trying to stave off the chill that assailed his feet, moving as far inward as he dared. And to think, Jaune Arc, the goofy guy who'd snuck into a school for the best and brightest in Remnant, shared his bed with another.

Before the cold had settled into its siege, Jaune had found himself sitting in an open room littered with tables housing raucous patrons. His compatriots, Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, and Ruby sat opposite a woman who'd made quite the impression in the brief time she'd been chauffeuring his team. Or rather, Ruby's team, since she had stepped up to take the brunt of the woman's scrutiny in his stead. Not that he complained.

"Alright, down to brass tacks, you're going out to Haven you said?" the woman questioned, bearing down on his colleague with dangerous intensity.

"Th-that's right. Ma'am," Ruby managed to squeak out.

"Good, and enough with that ma'am nonsense. I'm Marly. Or Gideon, makes no difference in the long run. But I'm no officer, just a fellow Huntress." The woman called Gideon took a long draw from a mug just to her left, slamming the glass down with authority. "Now then, who's the contact over there? I'd assume Haven isn't falling apart at the seams if you got some kind of message there and back."

Ruby stiffened, and Jaune could read the worry in her actions clear as day. _We've come too far to have someone send us back just because we're students,_ he resolved. "We can't say who it is. Things are... complicated back at Beacon," Jaune shifted in his seat as he spoke, trying to shore up any doubt he may display. "I'm sorry, but there isn't much more we can say."

"Hmm, that's quite interesting," Gideon remarked, moving her focus toward Jaune. Her gaze weighed into him, daring him to even breathe with its ferocity. _I may have made a mistake here._ "So you can't say who it is you're going to link up with, but you can say where and let slip about the tower?" Gideon pressed her hand into the table, leaning in and letting the gesture simmer. "Something about this isn't adding up, and I'm not sure what to make of it."

Then she slumped back, wearing a smirk that would pass for amusement at a small child's antics in a different set of circumstances. Jaune exhaled heavily, relieved at being free of her scrutiny. "It isn't that we're hiding anything from you, it's just... a difficult time right now." Resting his arms on the table, Jaune recalled how much chaos there'd been during the attack. Right after Penny had died, everything just fell apart and the calm fabric of existence he'd lain on fell apart with it. Looking over at Pyrrha, taking in the woman's damaged but whole frame, he couldn't help but let a deep sigh slip from his mouth.

"I see, and that look is something I've been exposed to many times," Gideon sat forward, gazing into the mug she'd lovingly been holding, "it isn't easy to deal with loss like this." Pulling the mug to her lips, she swiftly threw her head back and drowned the mood. "But! You can't go on like the end of the world is just in front of you." Slamming the container down with a mighty clatter, she returned her steely gaze to Ruby. "I didn't get tossed out of the bunk yesterday miss, but for now it seems like you lot are just as war weary as anyone else in this dark time. Let's move on to brighter matters."

"Thank you, for trusting us," Ruby breathed out, Jaune letting go of the tension he'd held back, "So... why are you still entertaining us? We're just travelers like any other Huntsman."

Gideon let out a chuckle, looking over her guests with the same eyes that had nearly accused them of being traitors. "Well, not everyday you get a five person team come walking up to the gate with a train of Grimm in the distance. Call it curiosity." The grinning woman tapped her rifle, laying across the chair back like a banner. "Besides, I really want to know why this one," she said pointing at Pyrrha, "is draped in something I'd put on a stand and admire. Not to mention her more unique scar."

Jaune sat upright in his chair, taking in his surrounding and preparing for anything to happen. He didn't want to be so cautious about Pyrrha's extraordinary circumstances, but it couldn't be helped. The door to the inn cracked open and Jaune spun around to make sure it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. An old, decrepit man shuffled into the room, making his way toward a table next to theirs. "Hey Mertin, still not dead I see?" Gideon called out, getting up and walking over to lend a hand.

"Not yet Marly, though I might just die soon to meet your expectations," the old man bit back with a smile. He slowly made his way over to the table, eying the room as he walked. Catching sight of Pyrrha, the gentleman narrowed his gaze and stopped in his tracks. Gideon waited for a moment before looking where the man was staring.

"You... w-where did you get that armor?" he stuttered.

"It was a gift," Pyrrha responded simply. Jaune had a sinking feeling in his stomach at the thought of her wearing something so important.

"From the people who you can't remember, but you can recall?"

Pyrrha shifted in her seat, looking directly at the man's eyes as he spoke. Jaune saw her muscles tensing, and moved to try and head off anything that may happen. "Yes... but it isn't for the end. Only the beginning."

"Then I salute you champion, pray for you reawakened, and honor the last days I may live."

The man turned away, taking up Gideon's arm once more and silently resumed moving towards his table. Pyrrha sat back into her chair, and the tension Jaune had seen started working its way out of her body. He took her hand in his, asking to share the weight she'd been so unceremoniously burdened with. She looked back at him with a look that spoke of the trials she would face, her eyes steeled to what must be. He simply held her hand, squeezing it gently to keep her grounded in the world she'd been brought back to.

Gideon came back over, settling into her seat with a ginger grace that stood in contrast to her earlier tirades. "So," her voice sharper than before, "you want to tell me what this is about? Mertin over there said that it was the end part of a story he'd been told by his grandfather."

Pyrrha stared straight into her eyes, defying the woman's intimidation with the fierce countenance Jaune hadn't seen up close before. She gripped his hand like a vice, but the pain was something little he could ignore. "It's just as he said, I am reawakened, I am a champion. That's all I can really tell you, because that's all I really know."

"So that bit was something you were waiting to say? Because it felt like you changed into someone else there for a moment." Her voice was cold, testing the limits of civility.

"No, not something I knew. But something that was there anyway."

"But how? You're just a Huntress, like myself. Like the team you're with." Gideon's voice wavered as she argued.

"Legends are told to spread a story that happened. If I'm part of one of these stories, I'll gladly live the part."

Jaune watched as the militant woman eyed her adversary up and down, focusing on the hole that had adorned Pyrrha since she'd been back. Sighing, she sat back into her chair and grabbed the now empty mug, looking into its interior with a sour look. "I'm just a simple person, here to help a bunch of simple people with their simple problems." Watching the woman sink into her seat, Jaune saw that Gideon had finally stopped her interrogation. "I'm not cut out for all this mythical nonsense that people keep talking about. So as for you five, go ahead and get some rest. I already arranged it with the owner."

"Thank you, for all your help," Ruby said, getting up with Nora and Ren, "sorry this has been so troubling to go through." Gideon simply waved them away, seemingly caught up in her own contemplation of the glass bottom. A moment of contentious silence later, Pyrrha got up, releasing Jaune's hand to his relief. Giving one last look of commiseration, he took his leave to follow Pyrrha to where everyone was waiting. As he left the owner waved for his attention, wearing a look of apathy towards his patrons that distanced their troubles from his own. Sliding three keys to Jaune, he turned his back on the young man and went back to cleaning the various trinkets of his establishment.

Jaune rejoined his friends as they climbed up the stairway, the atmosphere still as they let a moment's calm settle in. Coming up to the landing, a door off to the left matched one of the keys he was carrying. Unlocking the door, he was greeted with a quaint room furnished with a desk and wide bed. _Hmm, guess we'll have to split-,_ his heart skipped a beat as the implication came full force into his mind. Looking back over at Pyrrha, his throat tightened at the thought of having a room, a bed even, to share with her.

"Uh, I guess we'll have to decide who's rooming with who? I only have three keys," he skittishly claimed.

"I'll stay in this one with Nora," Ruby announced, taking the orange haired girl by the arm. "We'll get a chance to be away from the boys."

"I'd prefer to stay by your side Jaune," Pyrrha offered, taking a spot next to him.

"...First Nora and I don't get grilled by that woman, now I get a chance at some peace. Well, gifts unasked for," Ren proclaimed, making his way down the hall.

"I guess we'd better get some sleep then, not like the next day is gonna be any easier," Jaune stammered. This was going to be a long night, and only a fierce case of cramps in his hand could keep him from truly appreciating his predicament. Walking away from Ruby's room, he glanced over his shoulder looking for a hint of help. Only a wryly grinning face framed by her red cloak failed to assuage his worries, before being carried off by a fired up Nora.

Finding their room, Jaune gave Ren's key to him and silently wished he could go with him. _It's just a night, not a long time, just gotta sleep through it and get back on the open road. Toward the innumerable Grimm._ He couldn't quite decide which was going to be the more nerve racking task. Opening up his room and stepping in to drop off the fatigue of the road, he settled onto the bed to let his muscles finally relax. Before he could take his mind off of where he was, a light weight pressed the bed down beside him.

"We haven't had a chance to be alone like this in quite some time."

Jaune turned to look into the eyes that had he longed to see for so long, eyes that held a solemn vow of virtue. "Yeah. Quite a while," his voice held steady against a rising urge to breakdown, "it feels like we should try and pick up the pieces."

Pyrrha took his hand, gently caressing the muscles between his knuckles to alleviate the cramp he'd been successfully ignoring. "Of course, back to when I could just talk to you. Let my worries melt into your confidence."

"You really felt that?" he choked out, feeling his stomach shrinking into itself, "I just thought I was there to listen as a good leader."

"You were, and much more," she whispered, taking his hand to her cheek, "I'm glad that I can be here now."

Slowly taking her shoulder, Jaune shifted himself to stare deeply into those eyes he'd had nightmares of losing. _Well, guess it isn't right not to return a kiss goodbye_. Leaning inward, the warm taste that had lingered in his memories spread along the edge of his mouth. Holding the moment for as long as he dared, finally pulling back when the taste was firmly back in his mind. Pyrrha stayed in his arms for a time, slowly breathing in and out with a rhythm like the waves against a sandy beach.

"I didn't want to let you go, but I felt like I had no choice."

Light shakes emanated from her body, and he felt the dampness on his shoulder. "You did what you felt was needed, I understand that now," he gently said.

Pyrrha pulled away to stare into the ground, a small drizzle of tears falling to the ground. A long minute passed, as Jaune watched her work out the demons hiding inside her. Slowly she pulled her head upward, eyes closed and deep in her mind to work through a fight that Jaune could not see. Finally she opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling, all tension lost in her arms. "I've been so foolish, thinking I could take some small victory, anything against the world," her voice was distant, almost quivering as she spoke, "but in the end, I was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. I'd thrown it all away because of my belief, that I was something more"

Jaune relived his memories yet again, placing himself back into his place of weakness where he'd been powerless to do anything. Watching as the first person to believe in him walked to her death. "No, you were always important," he rebuked, "but it wasn't you that had-"

"It was me! I was the one chasing after that plateau, trying to be what everyone else made me out to be. And I was blinded to who I really am." Her voice had given out, and all that was left was a hoarse whisper. "I relentlessly sought out my supposed destiny, even when it was suicide that stared back at me. For what?"

"To be here now. No one else has done what you have," he replied, touching the edge of her perpetual wound, "and you'll continue to do what no one else can. What that man said down there couldn't have happened to anyone else."

Pyrrha finally let the last of her reserves drain out, falling backward onto the bed with a light thump. "Regardless of whether I really am fulfilling some legend from before anyone can remember or if it's just some foul trick played on me, I've got no other choice but to go on." She looked back over at him, pulling Jaune deeply into her eyes with the conflict showing on her face. "Glynda said I had a task. Maybe that's all I am, a tool to be used and discarded."

Jaune simply stared into those beautiful eyes, trying to let his calm and peace flow into her. _A tool? No, that's not the person who'd throw her happiness away for some scheme of Ozpin's._ He'd gone through his rage, sadness, feelings of betrayal at everything they'd taught him. And now she was going down that same path, accepting another's role for her without resistance or complaint. "No, you aren't a tool. You are Pyrrha, the person I love, the person who came back to us of her own will. I won't let them take that away again."

Pyrrha smiled, closing her eyes and breathing out the last drops of vigor in her. The smooth rhythm of sleep rolled over her body as Jaune got up to remove his travel gear. _If I'm the only one who sees her as a person, I'll be the only one to stand for her as a person._

Ruby rolled over, trying not to get smacked in the face by her bed-mate's tossing and turning. _Sheesh Jaune, you could have warned me she wasn't a sound sleeper. Not like you didn't spend the better part of a year in the same room._ Peering over to the shuttered window, she could make out the faint rays of morning's light breaking through the cracks. Shifting under the blanket, Ruby stretched as far out as possible, readying herself to make the journey ahead of her. Nora rolled over to grab the girl by her chest, pinning Ruby in place like a great clamp on her body.

"Five more minutes, it's not time to be serious and moody again yet."

So five minutes later she found herself slowly shifting out of the bed, praying the sleeping tigress wouldn't pounce on her again. Taking up her gear, she changed into the cloak that had been her keepsake for so long. Traipsing over to the door, Ruby turned around to look at the still shifting Nora groggily attempting to escape sleeps grasp. _Maybe I shouldn't. But then, there's always time to ask forgiveness,_ her inner child mulled. Nope, not letting the chance slip by she decided to act.

"Welp, looks like it's time to hit the open road. See ya Nora." Quickly slipping through the door and letting it slam shut, she ran down the stairs and to a table behind the stairwell. A minute later the sound of a heavy weight slammed into the wood above her, followed by the gallop of footsteps signaling her imminent joy. Like clockwork Nora ran out the door, hammer sliding behind her while she tried to don the last of her gear. Mission success, Ruby let the morning glow melt the exhaustion from her body.

"I knew I'd like you from the moment you spoke up," a crisp voice rang across the room. Ruby sat upright, staring at the scarred face of Gideon, making the best grin she could with such a mark. "That was some grade A bunk tossing right there, she didn't even look over this way before trotting out."

"Thank you? Um, what's up?" Ruby couldn't quite fathom why Gideon was here right now, thinking she'd see them off at the gate.

"Not a whole lot, early morning guard caught a few Beowolves lingering around the gate. So I came over here to blow off some steam." She got up from her seat and waltzed over to where Ruby was sitting, settling in without so much courtesy as a nod. "So, time to get to work again? Job's never done it seems, makes for a lively line of work." Leaning in close, her countenance sharpened until it felt like Ruby's skin was going to crawl off her face. "And about you lot, don't worry about explaining anything. You're taken care of as far as I'm concerned."

Ruby felt the breath she'd held slowly seep out from her mouth, an internal knot unwind. "Why did you change your mind? For a while I thought about how to get out of here without being caught, without having you stop us."

"Someone came to me about your team, vouched for you. Didn't want me to tell you who he was or why. So just know that somebody important is watching out for you." Gideon lounged back, looking lazily about at the almost empty room. "Say, you know you look like some-"

The door swung open with a thunderous clatter, splintering as it ran into the connected wall. Nora stood, hammer in hand, staring straight into Ruby's eyes with lightning coursing through her expression. _Yeah, I expected this. I regret nothing._ Her thoughts were little solace to the ball lightning that threatened her now. "I swear, everyone was leaving and I couldn't just stay behind waiting for you." No sooner had she spoke did Ren walk down the stairs, passing Nora's deadly presence to walk up to Ruby and take a seat.

"I assume you tried a trick and now it's backfiring?" he inquired, keeping a blank face despite the mirth behind his words.

"Yeah, and I'm really sorry. Can you ever forgive me Nora?" She adopted her best pout, renowned for its cookie procuring ability.

"Oh, I forgive you. But there will be a price," Nora vowed, retracting her hammer and stowing it. Letting out another breath, Ruby took in the mood of her friends and felt ready for the day ahead. It had been so long since everyone was smiling and happy, she didn't want to lose this feeling anytime soon. Looking over her shoulder, Jaune and Pyrrha were making their way downstairs with an air of weariness. They wandered over and joined the growing crowd now stuffed into a corner by the stairwell.

"Rough night guys?" Ruby asked, giving over her good mood to the day's demands.

Pyrrha looked away while Jaune grimaced at the question before answering. "Not quite the night. Glynda had told her that this would happen, told her the 'mortal coil' didn't bend so easily."

"Yeah, almost forgot about that dying and coming back thing," Gideon broke in, "Wouldn't want to go through that for the best of reasons." Ruby found herself staring in disgust at the flippancy of their host, not alone in her condemnation. "Hey, don't hate me for stating the truth. Besides," leaning forward as she spoke, "Mertin, the man from last night, gave a message to me to pass on to you. He said to not worry about how this story ends and to go on living, to not sacrifice yourself on another's altar. I'd say that old coot knew more than he let on."

"It's easy for someone else to say. Were it so easy to follow that advice." Her head still held low, Pyrrha tried to slink over toward the door.

Gideon wasted no time, sliding the chair back and jumping up from the table, she caught the tall girl's shoulder. "Y'know, he is an old coot. Much older than anyone else here at ninety-seven, so I'd listen to his advice if I were you. Not like you've got the experience to question his advice, young 'Huntress'. Besides, good people are all around you. Don't let them become just another group to protect."

Ruby could see the thoughts running through Pyrrha's mind as she turned to look squarely into Gideon's face. _All duty, that had been her entire existence,_ her mind raced as she began thinking of the road she was staring down. A short nod was all the fire maned champion returned, ending the conversation there. Ruby wrestled with her own thoughts for a moment before coming to the conclusion that she would always do what was right.

"Good, now that we're all up and about, seems as good a time as any to kick you out. Come on, haven't got all day to go save Beggar's Moor." Without ceremony Gideon snatched up her rifle leaning by the door and exited the Inn. Ruby quickly walked out, keeping pace with her chauffeur. Outside her team caught up and began walking in the short, harsh clip that Gideon had set. "Oh, blast. Wait up a minute," she commanded before running back into the inn. Emerging a few moments later, she grinned at Ruby without mirth.

"Is everything ok?" Ruby asked.

"Oh yeah, peachy. Just had to pay for that door, but don't worry. I'm sure I can tag on to Nora's... price." Her countenance suggested a joke, but all the same Ruby planned several ways to outrun the two if it came to it. Falling back into lockstep, the group made its way through the village toward the north gate. Nearing the bastion, there was a flurry of activity along the battlements that seemed out of place for how calm of a morning it was. Ruby wasn't alone in this assessment, as Gideon began running up the stairway toward the commotion.

"Jack! Why didn't you call me about this sooner!"came from above, prompting Ruby to abandon her team and race up the stairs. Cresting the heights, her eyes focused on the object of everyone's fear. Out in the distance, marching alongside the Grimm was a sight to behold. A Goliath strode alone, making the same single-minded trek the rest of its kin were making. Ruby stood there, feeling whatever was gently pulsing inside her trying to escape as her friends joined her.

"He said you five would be enough to handle anything that got out there. But that thing wasn't in the plan. Curse it all!" Gideon stormed off toward some of her gawking guards, rifle bouncing carelessly along her back. "Kidgin, grab me Tuck's patrol pack. And all my Dust cartridges while you're at it."

"Guess we've got another straggler. And here I thought it was just gonna be us four for a while," Ruby flatly joked. She wasn't unhappy to have someone with so much experience backing her up for once.

"Going at this rate, we'll have half the Huntsman in Vale harassing us," Nora laughed. Ruby couldn't help but smile, to defer the coming sadness.

"Maybe we'll see some of our more... colorful professors," Jaune added.

"I always liked Mr. Port, he was such a gentleman," Pyrrha joined the chorus.

"We'll see them one day, this can't go on forever," Ren finished.

Ruby could feel their determination to see this day through, to fight for what they believed in to their last. She felt the pride of a leader, but it wasn't her place to take that pride. Walking back to Jaune, she clapped his shoulder and gave him a light smile. "We're going to need someone soon to take the reins, you up for it?"

Out in the woods again, Qrow stood watching the train of night drudge endlessly in the distance. _A Goliath, haven't dealt with one of those in quite some time. Why would a lone one be on this warpath?_ The grizzled Huntsman pulled his flask again, savoring the plain drink from Passage that served to quench his unending thirst. Looking over a roughened shoulder, Qrow gazed out at the over-inflated team now striding through the forest. They held their heads high and looked every part the heroes that he knew they could be. That someone believed they would be.

"And of course you can't go without a good bite of bacon on the road. So we had to hunt down our second team in the dead of night, surrounded by Grimm." Pyrrha listened to the fanciful stories of Marly Gideon, trying to ascertain what was real and the bragging of an old hack. Her tales of time spent in Atlas academy gave new meaning to the word bunk. And the tales of missions gone south had a ring of truth that stood out in her rambling. Pyrrha felt like she was lucky to have a comrade who'd walked the road of a Huntress in such a... unique way.

"Long story short, bacon never tasted so good as after a five mile run from a giant snake monster." Pausing to take a drink from her canteen, the woman grinned like a fool at her teammates. "Alright, can you beat that one?"

"Well, I once decapitated a Nevermore by running up the side of a cliff? That was pretty neat," Ruby offered, walking underneath the weight of three bags. Nora and Marly's price.

"Huh, sounds pretty good," Marly responded weakly before facing forward. "Gah, you said they were good, but I didn't think you Beacon folk were that talented," she said under her breath. Pyrrha was close enough to catch it and smiled at the thought they had impressed someone like her. Marly glanced over to the column they were following, focusing in on the Goliath as it fell backwards from their pace. "Only ever run into one of those once, back at Passage. This was before I'd become a full fledged Huntress, so we were just there to settle a dispute that was happening with Vale at the time."

Pyrrha watched as the woman's expression lost its youthful fun, adopting the stern face of a soldier preparing to storm the walls. She saw the reflection of herself that she admired so much, the dutiful protector of the innocent. But why couldn't she let go like this woman had? "Away from the city, trying not to cause a panic. Must have been important," she mused.

"Yep, it was a private matter between the governments at the time. Anyways, that thing began moving slowly our way, an inexorable march that would have turned anyone's guts to water." Marly turned her head back to the march, painfully ignoring the beast. "So they called up Beacon using the direct link from the tower, and three hours later we were standing face to face with one of their elite teams. Real wildcats those ones. So we watched from the wall while they ran off to face the monstrosity bearing down on us."

She walked along silently for a time, and Pyrrha rolled over the thoughts and images in her mind. What would a full team of true Huntsman be capable of, and why would that much be needed to take down a single Grimm? What were they marching toward that could cause such destruction? She held her tongue, waiting for the end of Marly's story to fully comprehend their situation. They walked in silence as the snow crunched to the beat of their feet.

"Well, they took care of the beastie and we finished the matter at hand."  
"I feel like that story had more to it then what we got," Nora intoned. Pyrrha couldn't help but agree with the notion, pining for more details. Marly stared straight ahead, but her face held the hints of more emotions than the story had revealed. _Everyone has their own story, and they tell it in their own time._ Letting go of her curiosity, Pyrrha focused on mentally preparing for combat once more. The Ursa encounter weighed heavily on her mind, a constant reminder that she was no longer quite the same warrior she'd been. _I have to be ready for anything, even without my Semblance._

A wind whipped up, blowing with it the scent of stale air. Pyrrha looked toward the horde and saw a group trailing them, maybe a dozen or so of the beasts. "We've got some guests, and they look like they want a fight," she called out. The Grimm began drifting closer to her group, slowly building up speed. _Reckless, they must be itching for a fight_ , she thought before readying Thnitos, bringing it up shifted to a rifle. Her adversaries quickened the pace, churning the snow before them in their need to kill. Still too far out to fire, Pyrrha studied the surroundings, looking for any advantage.

Pressure emanated from her left, and the sound of the forest gave way to an obnoxious blast of an explosion. Looking downrange, Pyrrha could see one of the Beowolves charging her disappear in a cloud of red and black smoke. Its colleagues surging forward closed ranks and ignored the now forgotten creature strewn across the landscape behind them.

"About six hundred yards. No problem," Marly said beside her, racking the bolt on her rifle. An entire Dust cartridge fell to the ground at Pyrrha's feet, oozing the remnants of its contents along the cool snow. The sound of slapping metal signaled the sequel to the last explosion, and she winced as Marly again fired at her prey. Another Beowolf disappeared, felled in a cloud of green smoke mixing with its black dissipation. "Alright, they should be in range for the rest of you."

The thunder of gunfire registered dimly in her mind as she aimed toward the path of running Grimm. Watching the monsters throw their lives away sickened the woman inside her, the one who'd done much the same. She took aim at the head of a largish beast and fired, the shot flying true and throwing her target to the ground. It began to dissipate while another was running beside it, being flung to the side by a well placed shot from Ruby's deadly weapon. Black and white merged in the air, a flurry that had to be snow mixing with the Grimm.

Twigs cracked off to her right, and she spun toward the disturbance with her rifle held high. An Ursa stalked toward her, towering on its hind legs. _Not this time_. Pyrrha let a half-dozen shots fly, trying to wound the beast before moving in to finish it. Another Beowolf leapt out from a nearby tree, swiftly closing the gap between itself and Pyrrha. Announcing itself with a gurgling roar, the smaller Grimm jumped to strike at her head. Rolling along her shoulder under the monster, she brought up Athanatos to catch the claw flying into her side. Twisting her hand, Thnitos became the blade she sought and continuing the motion through her body to implant the blade into a meaty slab.

Withdrawing the life taker from her Ursa prey, her eyes locked onto its next victim. The Beowolf had flopped around to run full force at her, which she took on her shield. _No, you will not go easily_ , she maliciously thought before lifting the beast with her shield and thrusting the short death into it's side. Flecks of white encircled her, and the din of battle encroached upon her inner calm. She felt the wind begin to pull at her clothing and, looking at where it blew, she witnessed the torrent before her.

Marly had her rifle in both hands, shifted to an enormous pick which she swung in a wide arc at the Ursa lumbering just inside her reach. It battered the weapon aside and closed into range of terrible claws. The Huntress changed her grip and the rifle barrel folded onto the stock, a blade shooting out where the barrel would normally be. A flash of black fur behind her changed Pyrrha's focus, and she began to run to their aid. The Grimm reared back, and fell forward, a hole through its breast revealing the red cloaked death dealer hard at work.

She watched as Ruby shifted her scythe back to its natural form, spinning the oversized arm around. A quartet of Beowolves surrounded her, pacing around the young girl they savored. Ruby pulled back and, with a burst of petals left behind, sprang forward toward the first of the group. Slicing horizontally, she cleaved the beast in two and fired off a round to redirect her momentum. An overhead slice finished the second of the group as the other two closed in on the girl. Moving aside from their swipes, she spun her giant blade in an elaborate arc, coming down diagonally across the back of the third. Turning away from the dissipating corpse, she threw her haft up to deflect the last's clawed onset.

A shower of bullets unceremoniously ended the Grimm's attempt, and Pyrrha spotted the source standing over a fallen Boarbatusk. Ren settled back into his natural combat stance, searching the area for more competition. No further creatures threatened her friends, and she felt relief to see everyone had come out unscathed. It felt good to fight back, to finally push back against everything that assaulted what she protected.

"We should keep moving, no telling how many more are going to be following in their wake," Jaune yelled out.

"Let's get going then, not too far from Beggar's Moor now," Marly said, slinging her weapon with abandon. Pyrrha watched as they left, still letting the heat of battle wash away from her being. The white flecks danced around her, and she could feel the call that had subsided since this morning. Beginning to walk, a breeze caught more of the white flecks up with her and she finally looked at the snow that seemed to cling to her presence. The shapes were soft, but it wasn't snow she found around her. It looked like the fawn from the other day, but the only things around were Grimm.

Ruby ran along her team, alongside the Huntress called Gideon, and she couldn't help but feel relieved to have finally done something. What had only been a dozen initially had turned into near two score before long. Still, she hadn't lost any of her touch while she was back home at Patch, where Yang was still recovering as far as she knew. _I'll be back by your side soon sis._ Loping along the forest, she let her mind rest while the simple act of running occupied her muscles. Dreams of how she would be a great Huntress flitted at the edge of her consciousness, the thoughts given to her by her father. _I won't fail, I will live up to her name._

 _"_ Hey, red!" the woman beside her shouted.

"Please don't call me that. It brings back... bad memories," she absently responded, turning to see what Gideon wanted.

"Well alright then. Anyways, I saw how you handled yourself back there." She gave her a thoughtful look, one that spoke of comrades fought by and lost. "You know, that team that I spoke of back there? You remind me of one of them with the way you fight."

The words resonated within Ruby, playing on the fantasies she'd held for so long. "I'm sure it's just a coincidence. My uncle taught me everything I know, and I'm sure you wouldn't remember him."

"Not a man, a woman in that group. She seemed to float with a joy while she was fighting that Goliath, and I saw that in you as well. To watch her fight was like watching the trees rustle in the wind. Sure and steady, but light and free."

An image played along in Ruby's mind, daring her to confront it through the fog of time. "You don't happen to remember her name, would you?"

"I'm sorry, it's been so long now. I only remembered the tale from traveling with you people."

Ruby nodded, letting the truth of Gideon's words sink into her soul. The image flitted along, reminding her of better times when she only worried about her childish whims. The words her father had said to her on a fateful day coated the image in a wreath of petals, giving flow and form to it that spoke of love. _I'm trying mom, to live up to what you always did without effort. But I'm scared, scared of doing everything you did._ The rubble rose up around the image, wreathed now in smoke from a titanic struggle. A single arrow flew through her mind.

Shaking the tears off her eyes, Ruby carried on through the forest toward her destination. No more Grimm accosted them, and it became clear the train of them to her right was coming to a stop up ahead. A break in the forest was coming up, small and circular with good visibility across. Ruby looked around, taking in the fatigue her team had from their pace. Nodding, she held up her hand, signaling for an all stop just inside the clearing. They had to be rested before getting to the town, in case the perimeter wasn't secure.

"Alright Jaune, how do you suppose we do this? When we get there," her voice was severe, and she made an effort to curtail the thoughts of loss that reflected from it.

"Honestly, I'd probably just stick to your approach, go straight through the middle without stopping." He gave her a knowing grin, and she couldn't help but smile at her own predictability. "If they're still holding out we should be able to find a postern gate to slip in once we get to the wall."

 _"_ I've got an idea as to where one might be, so I've got the lead once we break through. Think you can take care of the hard work Ruby?" Marly declared while checking her gear,

"I'll need Pyrrha with me, we'll split them in two to make a channel for you guys."

The tall woman looked at her, and Ruby saw a tremble in her. _Why won't you tell us what's going on?_ _Is it too painful?_ Shaking away the worries, Pyrrha again looked at Ruby, and this time she saw the fury and resolve in those green eyes. "I've got your back," she stated, re-fastening an ornate buckle along her greaves.

"Alright, the rest will take the center line. Stay safe, this is just the first step." Jaune took his blade from its sheath and gave it a severe look. Ruby thought she saw the flash of hunger in his eyes, a want for something dark. Now wasn't the time to address it though, and Ruby straightened her gear before beginning to walk out of the gap in the trees. They followed her, and she felt that same pride of leading she'd had before her world was shattered. That pride had fueled her through the tournament, gave her the will to exceed even her uncle's expectations, to outstrip even her wildest dreams.

Picking up the pace, they ran through the wooded terrain toward where the Grimm were clearly stopping. Further on they raced, and Ruby let her mind settle into the routine she'd been so accustomed to. _No more failure, we will win, we won't back down._ The forest began to abruptly thin, and a wall loomed in the distance. Its surface was scarred, gouges running along the length and breadth marking the days of violence against the fortification. In front of it milled a tremendous number of Grimm, howling and screaming at the men who fought along the crenelations.

Ruby stopped at the edge of the trees, tasting the stale air as it permeated her senses. She watched the scene before her as the rest of her team filed in behind her. Along the top of the wall a Huntsman stood his ground while a Griffon charged across toward him. He pulled his blade out and let the beast within a hands distance before taking a single side slash. The Griffon flew past, before coming apart in a flurry of black flecks. Similar scenes played out along the rest of the wall, save for one.

He stood upright among the chaos, taking in the terror all around him without batting an eye. Turning away, the silver haired man disappeared behind merlons etched in claw marks and sword chips. _It couldn't be, not so soon. But... with these Grimm coming here._ Another matter for another time, now she had to let her heart settle for the battle ahead. The Grimm hadn't noticed them yet, and she moved forward into the pale light of winter. Pyrrha strode up to her side, her blade held low with a relaxed grip. _No more turning back, it's time to take that first step._


	4. Chapter 4

White Gold: Alone

She ran. Ran through the cold slaughter that had become her life, her very will to survive embraced in killing. And she ran through it all just the same, feeling a cold anger at the beasts she murdered without end. Beside her ran the small leader of team RWBY, cleaving Grimm in twain with her immense scythe. Pyrrha felt the pull of a kindred spirit, one who had the same single minded direction she held. Behind them the rest of her team followed, including a new face she'd come to admire. The hail of gunfire rang along their column, a force of nature plowing through the fields of Grimm infested snow.

And still she felt hollow, fighting an opponent she knew wasn't responsible for the ills of her world. White flecks flew from her last strike, a light slash that beheaded an unwary Beowolf. _Why does Thnitos do that? Or is it me?_ She'd been getting back to her old self, Thnitos having acquitted itself as a weapon worthy of her use. Before her she saw the monsters begin to take notice of their advance, and Pyrrha noticed a different emotion on their faces. _Fear. They don't show fear, not this young. Why now then?_ Still she ran, making a bee line for the wall that loomed above her like some great mountain to be scaled.

"Nora, can you make it up there yet? Looks like their people could use our help," Ruby shouted back at her entourage. Crescent Rose sung as she fired it off for more speed in her slices.

"Can do, ready and willing." The short woman positively beamed at the thought of sailing through the air toward danger. Pyrrha hadn't quite figured her out yet, but all things come in due time.

"Alright, see you again soon."

Pyrrha knew what was going to happen, and kept herself focused on the task at hand. A moment later the crash of metal slamming into dirt resonated behind her, followed swiftly with an explosion that signaled Nora's departure. Her pink form drifted up on toward the wall before disappearing over the barrier. Back in front of Pyrrha was the unending black swamp that tried desperately to hold back her team. But still, they didn't advance at Ruby and her's spearhead, preferring to sink back and away as far as they could. No matter, her goal was in sight as the wall loomed overhead now scant yards away.

She ran, and in that her mind had found a peace that was elusive at best. She swung her blade at a wayward Grimm, watching more white flecks appear like clockwork. "Do you see any sign of that gate Marly?" her voice rang out distantly, her mind on other matters.

"Yeah, it'll be just around the bend up ahead."

Arriving at the wall, they turned to travel along its length. Searching for the telltale gap, Pyrrha continued to think on her journey, how it would turn out in the end. Firing from her sword shifted to a rifle, she continued the duty of keeping her team safe. Marly had taken the lead, trotting ahead of them with her pick held high and at the ready. Pyrrha fired another round out toward the bubble of Grimm around them, but still they didn't attack. _Am I the only one seeing this?_ Taking a closer look, she could see that they were all lesser beasts, Beowolves and Boarbatusks. Hardly a threat, but also traditionally more reckless than their older cousins.

"Hold up, it's right here. Hey! Let us in!" Marly called through a gap in the wall. Muffled cries fought back and forth before a loud clunk vibrated outward and the door swung toward them. Letting a few shots off before retreating through the portal, Pyrrha couldn't help but stop at the entrance and ponder why it was so easy to break through.

"Don't just stand there, we've gotta secure the gate again!" she turned to see a short helmeted man trying to push past her. Letting him by he closed the door with a heavy crank, watching herself become trapped inside this port.

"Well aren't you the strangest bunch to come out of that mess," the man said turning back to his new guests. Grabbing a short rifle, he leaned against his door and eyed the new people he'd let through. "I'm guessing since that hard faced bitch lead you here you're more Huntsman? Good, if you hadn't noticed we're in it deep. Not to mention the strange woman who flew up and over our wall."

"That's one of us, we sent her on ahead to help out," Jaune spoke up beside her. "If you know where she is, we need to figure out how to stop all this."

"No clue, she came down on the street and just took off back to the wall."

Pyrrha could only smile a bit at the overzealous berserker they'd unleashed on this place. Taking a step inward, she saw that Beggar's Moor was much the same as Passage, if with a little wider streets to accommodate the cargo from trade ships. High walls held back the tiled buildings that lay scattered about like leaves in the wind. And those buildings were nearly untouched by the rigors of Remnant life, few if any scars from the Grimm marring their surface. _That's not right, their should be marks from Griffons and the rare Nevermore._

 _"_ So you came from out that way huh? From the looks of it, this has gotta be one of the worst attacks in years."

"It's much worse than it seems, there's a Goliath heading straight here along with a lot more smaller Grimm." Ruby said, checking her massive weapon for any flaws from their sprint. "We're not sure what to do at this point."

The man didn't seem fazed by the news, simply glancing back out the gap in his post. Pyrrha couldn't fathom not feeling a little fear at the thought of having her home destroyed in a sea of teeth and claws. But these people out here had done it for so long, faced what everyone in the city only joked about.

"Well, I'm sure the six of you are here to help with that. Right?" His face remained neutral, but their was a pleading look in his eyes.

"We're on our way to Mistral, but we'll do what we can. I assume there is an evacuation going on?" Jaune spoke somberly, and Pyrrha couldn't help but see the hurt he hid behind those words.

"Yeah, we'll pack a few of the boats extra full so you folks can go along last. Important business and the like." The guard's head fell back against the door, the fleeting hope gone.

"We're going to stay as long as we can, do everything we can," Pyrrha commanded, the words springing outward of their own accord. Everyone looked to her and she could see the grim determination in their eyes. _Even if I'm the last to go, we need to hold this darkness back._

"We're here for now, and I can personally tell you that this lot is more than capable enough," Marly broke in, brushing off the the snow from their sprint. "Especially that one right there," she said pointing at Pyrrha, "she's something else entirely. So we've got this covered until the real bad stuff shows up."

If only Pyrrha felt as confident as this woman did about her. She still hadn't grasped the reason why whatever she felled was turning to white. Why the Grimm had given little to no resistance to their stampede up here. Still she had a job to do, the same job everyone she traveled with had taken. Taking the lead, she walked off toward the central gate. There wasn't time to figure out the strange life she had lead, only the work before her. To save the people who suffered the most, to strike back for the powerless. Giving their goodbyes, her teammates fell in behind. Jaune jogged up to her side and gave her a quick squeeze on the shoulder.

"Are you ok? Seemed like you were kind of distant back there."

She returned a quick smile, trying to assuage his fears. "It's alright, I'm just trying to come to terms with how much things have changed."

"Alright. Just... don't forget about us. Or me."

She grabbed his hand, not daring to give a hint of letting go.

Joy spread across the entirety of the stout woman's being, finally being given free rein to work out the tension she'd had since Pyrrha came back. Nora had landed some several streets up from the wall, her flight having been somewhat exuberant. Alright, extremely over enthusiastic in every way, shape, and form. The crater left behind was a thing of beauty when she left the ground, a perfect circle with a tiny island inside. But now it was time to focus on the present, the need to protect these people from the terrible creatures that plagued them.

Hefting Magnhild, she began running back toward the gate where she expected a stairway up to the wall and beyond. The people still inhabiting the streets gave her worried looks, obviously never dealing with someone who genuinely enjoyed this profession. The gate loomed ahead and she found her way up through some guards. _Not a problem, I'll just have to charm my way in._

"Hey boys, mind if I get up there and give you all a hand?" Her tone sickened her, but Nora also found it a bit fun to flirt with people who didn't know her inside and out.

"Uh, are you sure you should..." the front most guard cut off as Nora slung her hammer onto her shoulder with ease. "Yeah, go ahead. We're just waiting for more orders."

"Thanks, maybe I'll see you again," she laughed, feeling the bile rise just slightly. _Good thing Ren never seemed to like those types of girls._ Taking off up the stairs, she scanned the interior for any sign of her team. _Not inside yet, hope they didn't have any trouble._ Cresting the landing, she scanned each direction looking for anything to smash into a fine powder. A Huntsman from earlier was on the ground scrambling toward his weapon just in front of him. Behind him a Griffon was walking up to him with a quick step, trying to end the fight and move on. Nora grinned before slinging her hammer shifted to a grenade launcher and unleashing a barrage at the beast.

The blast knocked the Grimm away as she swiftly sprinted up and over the prone man, still agape at her appearance. Sliding her launcher along the ground, she shifted it back into the mighty maul and slid the weapon into an upward blow. The mallet connected with meat and bone, and her opponent flew into the air limply. Another Griffon landed nearby, and Nora savored the chance to finally be pushing back against her enemy. Swinging in a horizontal arc, she connected against the feathered demon, sending it careening into the street below.

The calm of battle wasn't something she'd ever experienced, always preferring to relish the thrill that was ever present in life or death situations. A third Griffon had alighted next to her, giving a good show of ferocity before being smashed into the ground with a mighty downward stroke then punted off into the field below. Her charge was building, and the heat of battle only furthered her semblance's innate build-up. Across the wall another Huntsman slew an Ursa that had inexplicably scrabbled it's way upward.

The sounds of scratching forced her attention to the crenel before her, as she saw the claws of several Beowolves seeking a last grip to the top. _Oh goody, freebies_. Taking the chance to look over, the beasts snarled back at her while still seeking purchase. Nora casually pointed a now shifted grenade launcher at them and pulled the trigger, delighting in the howls that rang out from below. _It never gets old, no matter what they say._ Her joyful mood died down as she looked outward from her post, and saw the true danger approaching them. The Goliath had arrived, and with it came a flock of Nevermore. Larger Grimm pooled around the giant monster, seemingly waiting for some unknown signal.

"Hey, guy, you still good?" She wasn't certain if the Huntsman behind her was up for any more fighting, though the Grimm weren't going to give them an option.

"I'll be fine. Thanks for the save." He stepped up beside her, and Nora finally got a look at the kind of person who she'd be fighting beside. He wasn't that bad a looker, sporting a light leather vest with a few plates buckled over the breast. He held onto his sword with white knuckles, possibly shaken by the thought of dying back there. It wasn't the fanciest of swords, just long and segmented like most combination weapons she'd seen.

"You have a name miss?" His tone was short, but altogether friendly to his savior.

"Nora, and you?

"Vallis, guess it's good to meet you Nora, though the circumstances aren't the best. Are you part of a team?" Short and to the point. Like someone she knew.

"Yeah, they should be coming in any time now. Along with a Huntress from over in Passage."

"Good, hopefully their up to the challenge as much as you are. You've got quite a way with that beast you're carrying."

Nora smiled at the thought, pleased at being able to hold a candle to her peers. "Careful, flattery will get you everywhere. How long have you been holding them back?"

"They've barely let up for the past three days now, and with the CTS down we can't get anybody out here." He seemed forlorn, as if the fight could not be won. He also stood his ground here instead of succumbing to that emotion.

"Don't worry, even if we can't stop them, we can get everyone out of here and to Mistral. Besides, we've got someone quite special with us." _Two of em if what Ruby said is true._

"I hope so, this isn't your everyday Grimm attack, this feels like something more. Like something is pulling them here." Nora couldn't help but agree with her comrade-in-arms, staring at the death that waited in the distance.

Peeking his head out from the doorway, Jaune took a look at the black carcass that lay just a few feet away. It was dissipating in long strips of black vapor, typical of a Grimm after death. What wasn't typical was the fact that it had flown from up on the wall down at him and his friends before hitting the ground and skidding to a stop. Tracing the trajectory back he watched the featureless top of the wall for any sign of their fiery teammate. A moment later the shape of a Griffon flew upward and off into the sun.

"Looks like she's having fun up there," Jaune remarked, thinking about the trouble Nora must be getting into.

"We'll be joining her soon I'd say," Ruby said, the short girl walking away from her spot. She'd merely stood and watched the beast come flying at them. Jaune always wondered why she threw herself into danger like that. Looking over he saw the other three were just as sensible as himself, taking a bit of cover in a door frame. They stepped out with him and joined Ruby as she strode forward looking at the wall.

"It seems too quiet for how many Grimm we saw on the way here." She didn't seem the usual bubbly leader she always was. "Something's not making sense about all of this."

Jaune couldn't help but follow her train of thought to the inevitable conclusion, that something or someone was pulling the strings. "Yeah, but we have no proof. Unless you suggest we look around for it?"

Her face remained placid, but those great silver discs revealed a tempest brewing, churning her options until only one remained. "Yes. But we only need one person to look around, those Grimm aren't going to just wait for us." She looked around at the team that had followed her on this hunch of her uncle's, and Jaune could see the answer coming.

"Go ahead, we'll be waiting for you. Just... stay safe," he spoke with words that always came too easily. The need to send people off to do the work he needed done, the way of the leader. A knot always formed in those times, trying to weigh him down with the guilt of being so useless.

"Thanks Jaune. And the same to you, this isn't going to be a cakewalk."

The red speedster took off away from them, toward the center of town at a rapid pace. Jaune watched as she became smaller, losing definition before ultimately disappearing down a side street. _She was always so eager, maybe I just didn't pay enough attention before._ Hefting the shield he'd known for so long now, Jaune resumed walking toward the gate and location of the carnage Nora was dealing out. Another griffon flew off the wall, this time into a building before bursting into a cloud of black smoke.

"We're going to have to coordinate with the other Huntsman here, figure out how long they've been fighting." The crisp voice of Gideon had a calming effect on Jaune, taking the edge off with her confidence.

"We also need to worry about the people here," Ren interjected, "I've seen too many just walking around without any care. They need to be evacuated."

Jaune looked over to Pyrrha, trying to get her angle on the situation. She walked straight forward with squared shoulders, the very model of a professional. _If what that man said was true, she's probably feeling the expectation to live up to this grand story of his._ He couldn't help but think the man, Mertin, was speaking the truth. That his grandfather had heard this story from long ago and Pyrrha was the spitting image of it. But then, why did he have the lingering feeling of doubt about her place, about what it was she was expected to do?

"Pyrrha, do you have any ideas?" The words were strong, attempting to return her confidence.

"We'll hold the Grimm back, that's all there is to it," she commanded, keeping her gaze on the wall ahead.

Her words didn't calm his fears, but he trusted her to let him in and help her if it came to it. They came to the stairway leading upward, as several guards rushed by and down the street they'd come from. The few that remained eyed them before motioning them to pass. Climbing the stairway, sounds of battle rang out louder and clearer, the crack of gunfire sharp on the air above. _So this is what we've been training for, why we were even at Beacon in the first place._ The weight of his station began to pull him downward, but he wouldn't let those around him down. It was one of the first lessons he'd received, something inscribed on his heart.

Reaching the top of their ascent Jaune gazed out over his field, surveying the ocean of black shapes that all had one goal in mind. The wall was still theirs despite the occasional intruder, but out in the distance he saw the wings of nightmares. Nevermore, a small flock of the giant birds flew around their Goliath companion. The beasts seemed to be waiting for something, as if held back by someone's chain. Glancing around at his team, he saw the looks of dismay, of horror at how bad the situation was. Then he noticed a change, the nerves being pushed back and out of mind while muscles relaxed and began preparing for the ordeal ahead.

They would hold them here, this darkness wouldn't spread any further.

"Alright, here's the plan. We aren't going to get much use out of this wall once those Nevermore start flying over. So I want everyone to clear out the smaller Grimm down below, we don't need them coming in once it comes crashing down." Jaune turned his attention toward the grizzled woman who had led them here. "Think you can knock one or two of those birds out of the sky before they force us off?"

"I'll need help," Gideon replied, looking over at one of the town's Huntsman catching his breath, "and I think I've got an idea who'll do."

"Good, that ought to give us one less headache. Ren, can you gather up the Huntsman on the wall and bring them over here?" He received a short nod from his comrade before he took off running. This wasn't going to be a simple plan, some easy fix to stop a Deathstalker in its tracks. This was an endeavor, a gamble that required the full breadth of intuition Jaune had come to rely on. _I'm in over my head here, this isn't something a student should be messing with._

A moment later Ren returned with Nora and a group of Huntsmen in tow, exchanging pleasantries as they walked. They were a ragged bunch, wearing the toil of the last few days front and center. The aura of greatness still pervaded them despite the grime and muck that clung to their battered frames. Three men and a woman made up their group, and Jaune idly wondered if they were a team out of Beacon.

"So you're the one conducting the defense now?" a short man asked, bearing several scars along his sleeveless arms. He wore a mild face, the kind Jaune would expect out of a member of Sun's team from back in the Vytal days.

"I am, and you are?"

The short man spat out over the wall, grinning a warm grin toward Jaune. "The name's Kull, Kull Azurlake. And that lanky mess is Vallis Prasno," he said pointing at a leather clad gentleman who was still chatting with Nora. Kull gave a quick huff and Vallis brought his attention fully forward to regard the queasy Jaune. "Next we have the lady Silesta Modrysto," giving the well heeled woman a flattering bow. She was quite a figure, long sharp lines dotted with the short and curt features of a woman privileged to a loftier life. She leaned on an axe that bore the looks of simple make, wide gulfs marking the telltale segments of a combination weapon.

"And I'm their unlucky leader, Raudon Balkas at your service," the final man spoke up. He wore the hard face and beard of somebody who lived where and how he chose. A light breastplate was his only protection as the plates on his fists looked more suited to removing danger. "They may look like the slop of the bucket but they haven't let me down yet. And yourself? Your man Ren spoke well of you."

"Oh, um, I'm Jaune. Jaune Arc, and this is Pyrrha Nikos. You've already met Ren and Nora. And that's Gideon." The woman looked over and acknowledged the team that had come over, lingering on the short man Kull. "Yeah, I... guess I'm going to try and lead everyone. Keep this place safe."

Raudon gave him a reassuring smile, settling his bulk down on one of the merlons and stretching out in comfort. His team took up similar posts and Jaune felt like he might be able to fake his way through this mess. "So my idea is to try and keep the wall free of those smaller Grimm, because it's gonna come down when that Goliath gets here."

Pyrrha sighed and turned to Jaune with a pained look. _I know. Another thing you can't do anything about,_ his thoughts hopefully showing on his face. "Who'll lead the attack once it breaks through?" she said with hope.

"We're not, the way Gideon made that thing out to be, we need to buy time and space to get everyone out." He saw her somber face grow darker, trying to fight against reason and rebuke his suggestions. Finally she turned away, back to the coming tide.

"I already spoke with Gideon about the Nevermore, she needs one of you to help her."

The short man Kull pulled his head up from over the wall and looked over at the booted woman. Gideon gave him a quick smile that had his eyes grow slightly. "I suppose I'll be able to do it," he said detaching a large broadsword from his back and eying the middle section. Holes lined the edges just in front of the middle and there was a telltale line denoting the combination aspect. _Still just have Crocea Mors. Well, it'll have to do._

"Ren, I want you to handle getting everyone moving to the boats. Get the guards to listen." The stoic man nodded and began to step down the stairs before being stopped by Nora. She gave him a quick hug and whispered something Jaune couldn't quite hear. They parted with Nora watching the black haired warrior walk down the stairs. _He'll be the best to convince them, and maybe he can keep an eye on Ruby as well._

"Then that's it, we'll have less room to fight once this wall goes down," he said looking out over the town, down a wide street that would make for their line to safety. Turning back to his combined fighters he could see the doubt in his newcomer's eyes. They seemed to doubt he was really thinking about how to get them out of this alive, and he couldn't say he truly knew. Only intuition had gotten him as far as it had.

"Alright, then we'll get to work," Raudon commanded as he rose, "considering Jaune and I aren't the best at getting rid of annoyances out that far, I suppose we'll take the center?" Jaune nodded to the big man and watched as his team and Raudon's walked out toward the far points of the wall. Gideon and Kull busied themselves a short distance from the two. "So, Jaune. You seem to have a head for tactics."

Jaune nodded, focusing on the monsters that threatened him and his charges. Raudon just stood there, remaining limber and casually watching the field below. "That's good, a leader needs to have a head on his shoulders. But you seem young, too young to be out here." The words chilled Jaune, but he knew that it was too late for his team to be deterred from their goal. He let them pass without comment, but Raudon gave a knowing chuckle anyway. "Oh I wouldn't worry about that secret, we'll keep it safe for you. Anyway, seems like you've got good people around you. The gunfighter is quiet, but seems to have a soft spot for the spunky girl."

"They grew up together, and are pretty much all they have now." He didn't care that his tone was sour or if he was rude. There were things that he wanted to leave unsaid.

"I think it might be a bit more, sort of like the way your friend from Passage was eying Kull over there. But what I really want to know is about the one in tinged white, Pyrrha was it?"

"Yeah, I'm sure you've heard of her." He could feel the coming wave of adoration, the typical response that many had given about her.

"I have, a real promising girl. But the last time I saw her, back in Mistral, she wasn't running around with a set of armor you'd find in the old stories about the war."

"It's a long story, and one I don't really want to tell."

Raudon idly scratched at the tangled mess on his chin and hummed a foreign tune loud enough for Jaune to hear. "She seems special though," he interrupted himself "likely she means a lot to the people around her. And to you."

Jaune finally turned to meet the brown eyes of this man who'd been trying to pry into his life. They reflected back a somber yet hopeful soul, the kind that he could empathize with on a deeper level. A feeling of camaraderie washed over him, replacing time with an understanding of station and circumstance. "Yes, I... lost her once before."

"It's alright, this is a rough life we lead. Savor the time you have, don't let it slip by." The man turned back to the Grimm, and Jaune looked back to find they were finally coming toward the wall. "That girl... she reminds me of a story my great grandfather told me. Something about a maiden in white that wasn't white would herald the end. She would be a messenger or some such."

Jaune didn't want to let it be true, but it was inescapable. He thought deeply about Raudon's advice as the sound of gunfire picked up in the background.

A shutter slammed against wood when the sea breeze picked up slightly, and Ruby's nerves ratcheted up another notch. The town seemed to be devoid of life as the evacuation slowly made progress. Combined with her lack of direction, or even a hint of what she was looking for, the dread she felt became nearly palpable. She'd asked a couple townspeople if anything strange had happened in the last week and gotten nowhere. _There has to be someone who can explain that silver haired man,_ she reassured herself. A door closed off to her left and it seemed a good place to continue the search.

Knocking on the door, a light thud sounded from within and the sound of shuffling feet approached. "Y-yes? Can I help you?"

"Can I come in? I need to ask some questions about what's been happening in the last week."

"N-no, we're trying to get ready to leave." Ruby heard the footsteps fall more firmly as the person behind the door began leaving.

"I really can't take no for an answer, this is important." The footfalls stopped, and she hoped she wouldn't have to argue any further.

A loud thunk sounded through the door as it shook from whatever impact had occurred. Following the sickening feeling in her stomach, Ruby backed away a good distance and watched the portal for a few seconds. Feeling a twinge to her right, she rolled as the blast finally went off and threw the door outward. Coming back up, Ruby was greeted with a woman stepping out of the building holding a short rifle at the ready.

Spotting Ruby the woman opened fire, peppering her red adversary's area. A quick step upward and Ruby felt the force she needed build behind her, the semblance she'd known for so long heeding her command. Appearing to her assailant's left, she swung Crescent Rose out of its holder and spun it in an intricate flourish to rest the head next to the woman. Reacting to the massive blade that was mere feet away, the woman ran in fear. _Not the best choice_. Releasing another small bit of energy, she found herself thrust into a sprint right behind her fugitive.

Letting her scythe trail behind, she pulled the trigger. A mighty blast echoed along the street as the bladed head came flying forward, Ruby directing it with a deft hand. Swinging fully around, the blades embedded in a the wall they were running against, deadly edge between the woman and freedom. She ran full force into it and toppled end over end, rolling to a stop in an undignified mess. Sliding to a stop, wrenching Crescent Rose out along with her, she stood over the toppled woman and held the tip of her weapon inches from her face. Her shirt was ripped and a light red mark was visible underneath.

"I don't think you want to keep this up, you're already spent from the looks of it." Ruby watched the sense come rushing back into her eyes as the woman dropped her weapon and threw her hands up. "Now if you don't mind, I've got some-"

Gunshots interrupted the Huntress as several rounds impacted along the street, forcing her to jump away from the prone woman. Looking back Ruby found two white clad men aiming down range at her, clearly accustomed to combat in a way the woman wasn't. The woman. Whipping her head around, she saw her getting up slowly and stumbling forward. Rolling away from more fire, she brought her scythe up shifted to the slightly more manageable high power rifle. But it was for nothing, her enemy stumbled and fell, coughing and sputtering unheard words. _Looks like I found the trouble I was searching for._

Her new opponents kept up the barrage and it soon became apparent they were trying to leave the area. Spinning her scythe in front of her, Ruby deflected several shots before settling the weapon behind her. Another immense blast sent her sailing toward the gunmen, and she followed up with a handful more to finish closing the distance. Their surprise rang across masked faces as she flew up on them, one falling backward while the other turned to flee. She swung her scythe straight into the ground next to her first victim, using it as an anchor and sailing in an arc.

Breath left her masked friend as the full force of her speed sunk into his chest, and she found that the extra few inches the man's chest gave her was quite nice. Slinging her scythe back into a short rifle, the second runner fell in a pair shots and stopped moving. _Well, they weren't that bad. Should have gone softer though, can't talk to people who can't breathe._ Walking back to the woman, she found her breathing harsh and uneven. Kneeling beside her, Ruby flipped the woman onto her back and found that she wasn't in danger of dying, but the mark hadn't gone away.

"Alright, now that I have your undivided attention, mind telling me what you and some White Fang are doing here? Why are the Grimm swarming to this place?"

She coughed, letting out a raspy breath before finding a shred of composure. "You wouldn't want to find out. They made me do it, those men were my jailors."

"Then tell me what you... they did, I'm here with a lot of help. We can stop this, I just need you to tell me."

"He... came to me," she mumbled, her eyes starting to well up, "said that my husband was going to kill me. That I needed to trust him." The woman began coughing again before finally subsiding into wheezes. "I didn't believe him. But one day, my husband... he... he picked up a knife and started saying these strange things. I-I panicked and grabbed the rifle form my combat school days, but he just started walking towards me with this grin."

Ruby could see the terror in the woman's eyes, the memories of it all rushing back to her. "It's ok, I'm sure it wasn't your fault."

"But it was, I never was a good wife, and I never... I killed him, shot him so many times. So many." She started to sob, and Ruby couldn't help but feel sorry for this woman. "Then He came back again, said that I'd killed in cold blood. I tried to argue, but he said that guards were already looking for me. Told me that he could protect me."

"But why? What could they have accomplished doing this?"

"People. Taken," she hoarsely shouted, "taken away. And then... then we bu-" A small blade lodged itself into the woman's throat, and Ruby jumped back and away as several more bounced off the pavement. Whipping around to a roof nearby, she saw a brief flash of black disappear away from her. _This isn't happening, not again._ She took off running, not daring to look back at the remains of the woman. Running onward, the center street came into view and she slid to a stop, trying to find any trace of the assassin. Only a steady stream of evacuees staring at her enormous scythe greeted her, and she quickly retracted the weapon to ease them.

Looking up the road toward the wall, Ruby watched as a large Nevermore crashed downward into the gap between the bastion and buildings. Several screams rang out from nearby and the civilians began to pick up the pace, running for the safety of the sea. Ruby could only stand there, taking in the destruction of buildings that must have stood for years until this point. Pressure built behind her eyes, the force seemingly bubbling from her head. _I can't let it happen, not if I can stop it._ Stepping forward, a shout echoed from behind her taking her out of the trance.

"We need to get them moving faster! Ruby, I need you to handle the people at the wall, they're being stubborn." Ruby looked back and saw Ren running between buildings, feverishly trying to get everyone on their way. Leaving the man to the back of her mind, she ran forward toward the wall. _It's not like we're alone out here, I'm sure we can take him if he's still here,_ she thought to calm her fears. She wasn't alone, not yet.

The thunder of rifles was nearly deafening, but still it didn't relent. Grimm fell by the dozens, a black fog washing over the field below her with the morbid work. Pyrrha pulled her rifle to the left and fired at a stray Boarbatusk, bouncing the round off its armored mask. Sniffing in disgust, she let a volley loose at the little beast, battering the plate with her furious fire. It finally cracked and several shots struck true, throwing the Grimm aside. It began to bleed white flecks as had been expected from her weapons. To her left the report of a large rifle assailed her ears followed by an even deeper boom from what she guessed was one of Raudon's men.

Looking upward, several Nevermore circled their wall while a swarm of Griffons descended in slow circles. _What could have called so many here? There weren't even this many when Beacon was attacked._ Her thoughts wandered back to that day, and she thanked whatever mercy kept the White Fang and worse from being here. Distant thunder brought her back to the present as the Goliath stepped ever closer. It brought with it a horde of Grimm that screamed and howled around. Jaune's plan was working though, a ring around the wall was forming as they killed anything that got closer.

Her mind wandered in the lull, thinking on the dorky boy she'd fallen for. How much he'd grown, how he'd taken up the mantle of leadership with little effort. Pyrrha felt like she was a good judge of character, but he outstripped even her expectations. Holding his team together with an easy charisma and always having a plan ready when needed. A small pang of guilt ran through her at the thought of being forced to push him away. It wasn't right to be take out her frustrations on him either, it wasn't his fault she wasn't strong enough.

"Another customer, and he looks hungry!" Vallis yelled to her right, firing another bolt from his sword shifted to a long rifle. A Beowolf that was sprinting through the clearing fell over and skid to a stop before reaching the halfway point. "You see that miss? That's how we keep them satisfied back in Cleront!"

Pyrrha couldn't help but smile at the man's bravado. "I'm sure you're quite popular with the local sheriffs if that's how you do business."

"You wound me my dear, I simply feel the need to compete with someone of your obvious talent." He bowed with a flourish and Pyrrha felt the heat in her cheeks rise. Turning back to her section, she fired several shots far to get her mind off of such light things. It was time to work, to do the duty that Glynda had told her about. The Goliath marched onward, inexorable in its path toward the gatehouse. A slight worry over Jaune swept through her, but she calmed it with the notion that Raudon would at least keep him safe.

Screeches broke her calm, and the three Nevermore descended in unison. Panic gripped her, they were coming straight at her. Taking a knee, she pulled Thnitos upward and aimed at the first to approach. Pulling the trigger, she felt the buck against her shoulder and followed it up with a furious fusillade into an oncoming maw. No effect, and it kept flying down toward her. Shifting her rifle back to a blade, she braced for the eventual arrival. The Nevermore soared down onto her, letting great wings beat back the force of gravity at the last. Wind buffeted Pyrrha, threatening to throw her from the wall.

Letting out a cry, she thrust the blade upward and dared the monster to fight her. It struck downward with great talons, battering the stone around Pyrrha and tearing merlons from their places. She struck back when one of the talons became lodged in a gap, stabbing into the bony appendage and levering herself upward. Tearing the blade free, she fired to maintain momentum and stabbed further up for leverage. Onward she climbed, letting the flow of gunfire and sword strikes carry her onto the great birds back. Finally she was at a flat footing.

The great beast shook itself free, furiously flapping wings to gain altitude. Pyrrha felt no urge to let it, instead swinging her blade down along a wing before shifting it to a spear to cripple the bird. It let out a cry of anger, trying to dislodge the unwanted guest. She simply held her ground, letting Athanatos dig deeply as well into the back of the Nevermore. Pulling back her spear, she stabbed downward again into the beast's back. Taking a step, she swung again and again, moving forward with each blow. Shrieks of rage sounded as her attack took its toll. She arrived at the thrashing head of the beast, holding onto her spear as best she could.

"This isn't for me, or you. This is for what I have to do," she said to no one. Delving deep into herself, past where her semblance lay, past where she would reach for normally, she grasped the very fibers of her Aura. Pulling them, she raised Thnitos high overhead and, pulling the trigger on the weapon, thrust with her entire might. The spear tip split the air and embedded itself into the Nevermore, deeper down until Pyrrha could feel the force she controlled pushing as well. The winged nightmare fell from the sky, being thrown like a stone toward the ground.

She felt the pull to ride it into oblivion, to let glory determine her fate. At the last she wrenched her spear free and jumped from the beast onto the wall as it fell to the street below. Sliding to a stop, the Huntress stood and surveyed the scene she'd just moments before been standing in. Vallis was staring slack jawed at the maiden, and she could see that he had a hand in keeping the beast stationary. Looking upward revealed a Nevermore flying back into the sky, leaving the site of its fellow's murder.

"Well. I'd say that puts me out of business in big way. But if you don't mind," he asked with a hint of fear, "would you explain what you did to make it turn into a giant cloud of white?"

Pyrrha watched as the flecks she'd seen so many times drifted up, gently floating away over the wall and into the distance. She felt her heart sink, realizing that it wasn't natural what was happening. The look on Vallis' face tore into her, his stance clearly not the same easy going rogue he'd tried to portray. "I don't know why, it's just happens."

"That's easy for you to say, I just had to watch something that no one else has ever seen before."

She could see his mistrust, the accusation of her being something else, something dangerous. "Please, I don't know. I'm still figuring out why this is all happening to me. Please... believe me."

His eyes searched her, trying to find any sign of deceit in her words. They lingered on the wound that still would not heal, and she felt the small pull of darkness. She turned away, unable to bear the weight of scrutiny any further. And she saw the people down on the street staring upward, some with wide eyes that screamed at her to stay away. And some that looked at her with awe and wonder, looking upward and straightening up against the weight the held. _A symbol that speaks volumes to the young that will come after us._

She turned back to Vallis, the fire that she'd felt fading returning full strength. "I told you that I don't know what it is I'm doing, but I tell you now that it is to save these people, to hold back the tide of darkness." Her words came out with clarity and force, seemingly echoing down the street and across the field. The voice that came out seemed to be only partially her own, an extra hint being added behind it.

Her words weren't enough to stop the tide though, as a great roar answered her claims. And with it an earthquake that shook Pyrrha to her knees. Stones ached as the material holding them together began to be wrenched apart. "The wall's coming down, we need to go!" she yelled over to Vallis. The vibrations began pulling apart even the most tenuous footing, and Pyrrha decided to simply jump for it. The bastion crumbled as she sailed through the air, hefting her shield to smash into the building nearby and lodge herself onto it. Twisting around, Pyrrha wrenched the metal free and tumbled down to the street below.

Rolling to a halt, she righted herself in expectation for the oncoming attack. Around her the screaming forms of people raced away, trying to escape the danger that threatened them. Then she saw Vallis crumpled form and her heart sank. Seeing the veteran Huntsman down and sprawled across the cruel stones tore into her. Where he had stood was no more, and the wall was only a third of its old height with the remaining stones scattered between the street and the field. Nothing came over the wall yet, and Pyrrha felt it was time to start moving back to the center street.

Running over to Vallis she found him still breathing, though ragged and unevenly. He wasn't going to be any use in the fight and it was time for her team to take over their duties anyway. She began hoisting the man onto her shoulders, but the weight was too much. _I pushed too hard on that Nevermore, got to be more careful_. As she struggled a young man came up to her and began pulling some of the weight onto himself. She gave him a soft smile in thanks, but the look in his eyes wasn't what she expected. They shone with a fire of a man possessed, like he saw the very reason he lived in her.

Brushing it off they staggered onward with their burden. The street was abuzz with people running with them, offering Pyrrha and her helper mixed looks of fear and awe. Ahead of her the gatehouse was crumbled, nothing remaining of the barrier that held for what could only have been decades, if not a century. A slight twinge of panic rose for Jaune and she found her pace quickening. The young man simply picked up his steps as well, never speaking. They covered the ground in peace, the wave of Grimm she expected still held back with fear.

"Pyrrha, thank goodness. I need your help." The voice of Ruby Rose called out of to her left and she saw the young woman running toward her. There wasn't time to stop, so Pyrrha simply kept going toward her destination. Ruby caught up and took an arm from the young man who looked painfully at the duo before running off. "Pyrrha? Is this...?"

"One of the Huntsman we found, they'd been fighting for three days now. He didn't make it off the wall well."

The young woman sighed, letting out a long breath that worried Pyrrha slightly. "No more, I don't want anyone else to leave."

"Ruby? What happened?"

The petite girl turned away, trying to hide her face from Pyrrha. "I found someone, they told me they were taking people away. But before I could find anything else out she..." Her silence answered Pyrrha's question. "And a man up on the roofs was running away afterward, so we need to be careful. It could be someone we know."

"Of course. It's good you figured out why the Grimm are here, and you're still safe. We can still fix this." She didn't really believe her words, carrying a limp Vallis and trying not to fall over from her earlier exertion. Still, the little red hood swung back over to face her with strong silver eyes, nodding fiercely. They carried onward, letting the hope they carried fuel them. Howls began sounding in the distance to announce the final push.

Two figures stood ushering people toward the ships, and Pyrrha could make out the large shield that Jaune held. Next to him the large man Raudon was waving at them. Several clouds of black circled upward, and Pyrrha could see the exertion that coursed through both men's faces. _He still has a long way to go. And if Raudon has been pushing as hard as Vallis..._ she restrained her thoughts, not daring to allow such a possibility. Further onward the woman Silesta was carrying a limp Nora on her shoulders, stumbling forward.

"There's enough fire here for the whole mess of you Grimm! Come and get it!" Raudon yelled at the slowly moving horde. He swung an armored fist in the air, defying the great beast that was just yards away from the threshold. "Kull! We're gonna need you soon man! I can't be the only one trying to yell down a killing machine."

The short man was sitting nearby, sucking down air in an attempt to regain some strength. "I don't think I'm gonna be good for a while. You just keep up the act, I'm sure it's working."

Jaune was also down on his knees, letting out gasps that told Pyrrha most of the story. Looking upward he spotted the duo. "Pyrrha, Ruby! Is he alright? And you?"

"We're fine, and Vallis is alive but completely drained of Aura," Pyrrha reported, "what about yourself?"

"I'm doing alright, tired of keeping up with Raudon," Jaune said with a light tone. But as he looked back at the man Silesta and Nora came into view. "Oh no, not her too. And I can't imagine Silesta being any more use if she's stumbling like that." He stamped a foot, and Pyrrha watched him tense up at the situation.

Ruby shifted under the man's weight and Pyrrha saw her slouching slightly at the way things were going. "It's ok, we tried. We'll need to get out of here soon. I haven't seen Marly yet, have you?"

"No, we lost track of her when the quake hit. I'm sure she'll be ok though."

Pyrrha nodded in agreement and set the weight she carried down to take in their situation. All around her the people were running, being funneled down the center street like water down a river. The young man who had helped her earlier was milling about in a door way, watching the Huntsman with eyes still alight. Silesta settled Nora down beside Vallis, smoothing out the fine dress she wore before settling back in to fight alongside Raudon. The sharp woman looked haggard and beaten, but she masked it well behind a flat facade.

"Seems like we might be in over our head here captain. What's the plan?"

Raudon laughed for a long stretch, finally calming to stare the woman in the eyes. "You're really asking me that? We follow Jaune's plan, fall back slowly when the people get by, try and get as many out as possible."

"It's a good plan, correctly judged for how deep we are in it," Kull shouted from where he sat. Pyrrha could feel the words trying to fight against their despair, trying to deny how bad it really was. They had two Huntsman down and a third who would most likely not be any use in the coming fight. "We'll be just fine as long as it all goes according to plan."

"I'm sure it will, just a few setbacks after all," the large bearded man smiled while he spoke,  
"We've still got Miss Nikos with us, and Jaune should be good to go. I don't see the-"

He cut off with a choking sound. Pyrrha snapped her head around to see the boy from earlier pressing a knife into Raudon's back. He pressed and pressed, before the sound of glass shattering split the air. Jaune bashed him off of the man before trying to catch the falling Raudon. Silesta swung her axe around and pinned the boy against her, a deadly ice in her eyes barely held back by mercy. Pyrrha felt her heart sink to the pit of her stomach, seeing the last hopes she'd had dashed before her as the Huntsman fell to his knees.

"Why!" Ruby screamed at the boy, "why do this now? You were helping us, why do you want to hurt these people?" The boy stared at Pyrrha, the eyes burning with a zeal that frightened her. Then he collapsed into the axe pinning him, and Silesta let him down.

"He's still breathing. Unfortunately. But why do this now? What could he have gained?" Her countenance was dark, the sharp lines of her face and dress accentuating a deadly desire.

"A shame, I could have used him a bit longer to distract. Oh well, they say to do what you need done yourself." Pyrrha turned behind her to see a man in black strolling up to her, a flash of silver hair spread across his head. He was nearly the spitting image of Mercury Black, except for the whip he held coiled in his hand. The evacuees parted around him while he walked. "But it really is a pain losing my patsy back there, no thanks to you little red."

"Are you another one of Cinder's people?" Pyrrha saw the menace in his eyes, and knew her answer.

"Maybe, maybe not. Will it do you any good to know?"

Ruby unhooked Crescent Rose beside Pyrrha, spinning and settling the massive scythe-rifle onto the ground pointed at this newcomer. "No, because it doesn't matter. You need to be stopped. And I will stop you."

Pyrrha saw the fire in her silver eyes. The same fire that coursed through her own not so long ago. But it was different, a purity and determination for others that she didn't have. She had fought because of what she believed she would be. Her mind reeled for a second, trying to reject the truth. Then she simply let it be, calm in the knowledge. "Ruby. We need to take care of our own first. Our friends need help."

"But... you're right, we need another plan."

The young leader stood at the ready while Pyrrha walked back to Jaune and company. "Jaune, I need you and-" she stopped as Ren came running back from the docks. "Ren. Thank goodness."

The calm warrior slowed to a stop and surveyed the scene, stopping slightly on Nora's unconscious frame before sweeping across to their enemy. "I suppose we need to get the others out of here?"

"Yes, exactly," she told her teammate before focusing back on Jaune, "so you know what we need to do. I'm sorry."

He looked into her eyes, those blue moats reflecting back a sorrow at what must be. "I won't let you leave again."

There wasn't any sadness in Pyrrha left, she knew this wasn't the end. "No, I can't promise that... but," she replied with a small smile, "I will find you, no matter where we end up, I'll be by your side one day again."

Jaune walked past her, letting only the briefest moment of touch brush by before moving on to pick up Raudon. "Ren, you're our protection. Silesta, Kull, if you can handle the others?" The two Huntsman nodded their acceptance and he began to move back towards the docks. Before he could pass Pyrrha, she grabbed his sweater and planted a soft kiss on dry lips.

"This isn't goodbye, but only until I see you again." He nodded back, grim but loving in his manner. _You'll do better to carry on your own way, away from what must come._ Jaune departed down the street with the others in tow and Ren leading. Few others followed them as most of the town had been abandoned by now. Looking back toward the gate, the Goliath loomed at the threshold unmoving. It stared at the Huntsman and their foe as though pondering what course of action to take. But it wasn't the Goliath that held Pyrrha's eyes.

"Do you have a name?" Ice filled the words, and she had drawn her death and life to her hands.

"Not that I use it much, but for someone about to die I guess you could savor it. Slate Meltharsis is what a few people once called me." His face was filled with the confidence of someone used to the taking of lives. "But if you could return the honor? And maybe your friend?"

"Pyrrha Nikos, a name you might be familiar with."

"Ruby Rose, a name you'll... dislike." Pyrrha looked over at the small girl. She shrugged, "not a joke. I'm just not very good at what you two are doing,"

"Heh, not only do I get interrupted, but by a simpleton no less. Well, let's get to it." He sauntered forward, unraveling the whip and letting it drag behind. A light breeze picked up, whistling over the ruined wall and rustling Pyrrha and Ruby's clothing. And in a flash they were gone. She was up in the air, having been launched by the furious force Ruby had used to run up the side of building with her in tow. _Down from above, while you handle the rear? Good plan._ Down she flew, holding tight to her Aura. It had started to become easier to find since her fight with the Nevermore.

Slate simply stood there as Pyrrha hurtled toward him, his whip slowly undulating in the wind. _That isn't the wind,_ her mind warned before instinctively raising Athanatos. Small objects impacted the protective metal and she continued the descent. Pulling deeper into the well of her Aura, she prepared for the landing. Looking over her shield she saw the man still cockily standing his ground. So be it, she would land with the full force of her abilities and finish this quickly. Gripping Thnitos tightly she plummeted the last few yards. Letting out a guttural yell she released the accumulated energy of her Aura through her shield, smashing the ground with its fury. Lifting her head, she saw Slate had jumped away.

Pushing outward with that energy, she lifted herself upward slightly and spun on unseen forces to throw a booted heel at him. The man unfurled his weapon and flicked it at her exposed leg in one smooth gesture. Coarse leather snapped tight and she was flung forward toward the remaining stones. _So he is good enough to back up that tough talk._ No, don't let arrogance compromise your attack. An ancient rule from so long ago now. Whipping around, Pyrrha landed harshly against the stones and stood horizontal for a brief instant.

Back into the fray. She launched herself at her opponent as he was coming down out of the air. A flash caught her eye and her blade moved on instinct to deflect several small knives. He landed with grace and stood to stare at Pyrrha's blade soaring into his face. The man simply bent backwards and let the weapon sail overhead, woman in tow. Rolling to a stop, she spun around to face her foe. Gunshots echoed to her right, and a blur of petals flashed across where Slate had been standing. Swiftly following the trail, Pyrrha caught a glimpse of Ruby sliding to a stop with her scythe facing away. Another piercing blast and she sailed back toward the prone man.

"Not again!" the black clad man shouted, springing upward. He flew into the air upside down and held his hands out stretched. The dark whip grew taut on Ruby's downward strike and the young Huntress came to a sliding halt as her target flew above her. She smiled, and Pyrrha could see the fatal flaw in the man's plan. A single shot rang out and his grip loosed on the weapon, flying outward slightly from the impact. Pyrrha ran toward Slate's landing point, blade shifted to a spear at the ready. Her adversary landed with a hard shoulder to the ground, rolling to face the point of her spear.

Grabbing the haft, he pulled the woman toward him and a flash of silvered metal slid across her arm. Bashing him away with Athanatos, she checked the injury. _Blood, if only a trickle. Well, I am using all of my Aura in such a brutish way._ Locking the spear into the slot on her shield, she approached again. Ruby let out a volley of fire to cover her, and Slate had no choice to try and avoid the deadly rounds. Pyrrha slid the spear outward. A tailed whip end battered it aside, before its owner took a shot square to the chest. _Now, while he's off balance,_ the champion spoke inside her.

Pulling the trigger, Thnitos launched outward at its target while she sprang to a roll. Slate deflected the projectile before being brought to the ground with a blow from Athanatos. A second later the head of Ruby's scythe caught the man and launched him upward into the air, while the girl leaped after to bring him back down to earth. He twisted to land unevenly on the stones, whip trailing behind before slicing through the air toward Pyrrha. She let it strike home, preferring to use the time to reach him and deliver the final blows.

The murderer stood before her, and she could see the confidence still burning in those eyes. Almost the same eyes as the young man before. Her shield weighed down on her as she brought it up to smash down into his chest. Those eyes reflected back a sadness all their own as she crumpled him sprawling on the stones. Ruby trotted up beside her, weapon trained on the man as he slowly rose. Pyrrha calmly walked across to her weapon, and the pressure of a round exiting her young partners rifle pressed against her back.

"It's done, you were too confident," she declared before turning back to see Slate again trying to rise. "Please, stay down. You can't beat both of us." The wave of exhaustion that swept over her gave away her lie, but she held her ground. He continued to rise, and Ruby let another round fly.

Slate hit the ground hard on his back, the wind leaving him as he hit. Pyrrha glanced back at the Goliath still standing and watching them. The man let out a wheezing cough and Pyrrha could see the strength leaving him. "Hah... guess you're right. I thought you'd both... be too tired. No matter." His words came out ragged and rough. _No Aura left. It seemed like we didn't do anything though._ "Tell me, do you think you did anything?"

"Of course, we got the people out. We saved them!" Ruby retorted.

Slate smiled at them, a grizzly expression under silvered hair. "So you didn't hear what she... said. Good, may as well spoil the sur-surprise. We took so many of them. It was hardly... even a task for me."

"What do you mean, taken?" Pyrrha could feel the bile rising in her stomach, a sense of dread.

"We led them... into their own neighbors... yards. Had them dig, and when it was through..." The man smiled even more broadly before continuing. "They got in willingly, and we... well, you know. Need the negative emotions to draw... this beauty."

"No..." Futility weighed heavily onto her shoulders, a familiar weight. "So what did this all accomplish. Why?"

"Why not? Destroy a port, leave an entire town to wander homeless... it's all so poetic."

Pyrrha let her arms sag, the fatigue of fighting and trying to stop the inevitable dragging her downward. She watched Ruby buckle, but stand firm. "It isn't fair. Why can't we stop anything?" A call from before echoed outward, telling her of things that must not come to pass. _And I still fail them._

"No, it doesn't matter what you say," Ruby said beside her, a light mist of silver drifting nearby. "As long as those people are alive, that's all we need. We'll stand up to you people, without homes, without a place to go back to. We'll stand and fight whoever threatens innocent people. People like you, and they won't win. I won't let them."

Pyrrha saw the truth in Ruby's words, saw the truth of the younger girl's place in this world. It was she that would be that paragon, stand above everyone with a purity that couldn't be rivaled. She would be the real beacon of hope to the average person, and the truth hurt Pyrrha in a way she'd never known. Slate simply chuckled, letting rasping breaths substitute the normal mirth.

"You talk big, but the truth is... that we've already done so much. How could a little girl stop us, even with... someone like her... beside you?" The man raised a hand, and snapped a finger. Gunshots rang out across the town. And screams of anguish with them. "Have fun dealing with the beasts."

A mighty roar erupted from the Goliath before them, and it began stamping across the gate. The lesser Grimm held back, but it was a fight in their eyes between fear and hunger. Slate laughed up at the great beast as Pyrrha and Ruby ran down the street. A long scraping sound was all Pyrrha heard before the laughing stopped. _Good, at least there is some justice in the world._ Thunder chased after them as the great monster ran in slow rhythm. It followed them down the street, threatening the very goal in its unrelenting chase. There wasn't time to come up with a different plan.

"Ruby, you need to go."

The red hooded girl stared directly into her eyes, her pace unchanging despite the worry she displayed. "You're not going to do this again, we need you."

"I don't intend to die again, not now. But," Pyrrha gently said, trying not to let her lies show, "if we don't hold this thing back whoever is left at the docks won't make it."

Ruby's eyes clouded, great silver orbs fighting to hold back the tears she wanted to shed. "You'll come back to us, to me. There's so much I want to talk about."  
Pyrrha nodded her answer, and the speedster lived up to her name. Rose petals swirled all around as Pyrrha slowed to a stop and turned to face her destiny. Her ferocious opponent strode toward her, its pace slower than before but no less sure. Buildings lined the street, empty and devoid of a purpose with no one to admire or use them. _Alone again, here on the pedestal. But it isn't a pedestal that I stand on. Just another patch of ground, the same as any other._ The Goliath dwarfed the young woman, but she stood her ground. The fire of fatigue burned intensely in her muscles, her very bones. _I don't know what task it is that I must do Glynda. But if I can help Ruby on her way, to what she must do then I can consider it done._

The Huntress stood alone against great terror. And she held her ground.


	5. Chapter Side

Whtie Gold: What She Knows

Smoky haze told her so much, the gunfire endemic in training, the pitched battle that pulled between life and death. And the the need to act swiftly and judiciously. All around haze lingered, a reminder of the death she dealt on far with a rifle far too large to be practical. Yet, she made it work, leveraged the tool to her own devices. With help of course. _Distel, you never would let me down. Not as long as I fed that great maw._ Narrowing her vision, she eyed the great black bird that threatened to swoop down from above. Lining the barrel with the sight at her eyes, she took a breath.

The Grimm slowed, to a slovenly crawl of aching muscles and fluttering feathers. Marly watched for any indication of intent, a pattern to place her precious payload. _Just a dive? Easy enough._ Exhaling, her prey returned to normal speed and began the predicted dive along with a cohort, charging through the atmosphere. Their target was a stout young lady wielding a mighty war hammer and sporting bright flashy colors. She was accompanied by a prim and proper woman in a highborn dress and an axe draped over one shoulder. They stood prepared for the duo to drop upon them.

Judging her attack, she lined up the travel and squeezed a stiff trigger. Springs released and a hammer fell. Another deafening roar assailed Marly's ears, tearing once more at delicate tissue. She'd grown used to it after so long, burying one ear into the high collar she used to shield her mouth and nose from Dust residue. The projectile soared outward, traveling in her predicted arc and striking true at the breast of the winged nightmare with a burst of black and blue. A split second later the dull thud of Kull's cannon announced another rounds flight. The bird was still reeling from the chunk of meat forcibly removed from it when the second shell struck.

A black cloud erupted from the spot and Marly pulled the bolt back on her rifle, letting the spent cartridge tumble down to the stones. _They are not going to be happy with all this Dust I'm using. Well, it's for a good cause._ She watched the second bird descend, and descend. _It's not going to stop._ She watched the Nevermore beat furiously at the ground, defying gravity to stay above its enemy. The axe wielding Silesta pulled the weapon apart and began firing from exposed barrels, while Nora sprinted up toward the beast's thrashing claws. _No, it's going to send a-_

Too late as her fear was realized, the mighty bird Grimm unleashed a torrent of razor feathers at the hapless girl. Too late she threw up her guard as she was knocked onto her rear. _She's not gonna have time, gotta act._ Marly pulled the rifle to her cheek again and lined up the shot. Pulling the trigger, she expected to be accosted by another shockwave of sound. It didn't come. _No, I lost track. Stupid!_ Fumbling into her pouch, producing three more precious capsules of Dust, she pulled the bolt to its load position and hastily threaded the rounds in.

A scream let out from out on the wall, and Marly looked up to the horror of Nora caught in the beak of the dread demon. Silesta battered away with her axe split to two pistols, but the Nevermore ignored the feeble attempts and struck back with deadly talons. Still fumbling with the rounds, the sound of thunder began to rumble. She looked up once more. Black wings thrashed in time to their owner's head, and Marly witnessed the girl swinging wildly in its jaws. A brief flash, a crack a lightning, and she was falling to the wall below her. The Nevermore tumbled toward the street below, missing much of its body where the neck would be.

"Behind us, the white one's in trouble!" her surly friend shouted at her, raising the sword he'd shifted into a large cannon. Marly spun on heels, finishing the intricate loading of her rifle and slamming the bolt closed. Raising the long simple weapon, she took aim at a Nevermore out of a trio that were dropping down onto Pyrrha and Vallis. Again she inhaled, but it was no use. Out of the corner of an eye a Griffon was dropping at a meteoric rate toward her, too fast to do anything other than roll away. Exhaling she took to her shoulder and came up with Distel's thorn protruding out where the barrel had been.

Her foe crashed heavily in front of her, slashing at the woman frantically. A quick stab at the neck, twist, and retract and the annoyance was dealt with. Whipping the barrel back into place, Marly again sighted the Nevermore. Vallis was keeping the other two at bay the best he could, sliding under claws that would tear him down. She took aim, swiftly marking out the beasts brain. _A long shot, a precise shot. No time to rethink this._

"Try and take the other one down!"

Kull unleashed baritone music as the cannon sung its morbid song. She squeezed the trigger and added her own tenor to the mix, watching as both shells sailed out to touch Grimm flesh. _Two of em, what about the third?_ Her shot missed the mark, skidding off the back of its neck in a spray of black and green. A cloud of black erupted from the other, as Kull's shell hit home. She racked the bolt and scanned for the third. What she sought had lodged itself in the gaps in the stone wall. And along its flank someone was climbing.

Shining in the light, Pyrrha Nikos ascended the beast with a flurry of sword and gunfire. She was twirling along, defying the laws of the world through sheer martial prowess. On she climbed, and finally she mounted the bird's back. _I talked her up, but I really hadn't seen anything of it til now. She really is something, reminds me of..._ The warrior stood with a spear point planted and shield low, before moving forward with a purposeful step. Griffons were flying nearby, one diving in a shallow arc toward her. Marly let fly a shell, preferring to protect her colleague than preserve her ammo. The shot connected and her target disappeared. _Always said it was too powerful, too wasteful. Still don't care._

Pyrrha had stopped at the head, raising her deadly weapon high. Marly watched as the air distorted, and rings formed in the light bent atmosphere. _What in the world?_ Downward the bladed tip flew, and the crack of thunder resounded outward. Downward the spear soared, connecting flesh. Down it drove, until the woman behind the weapon sunk to her knees to keep hold. Pressure blasted out and downward, the Grimm exploding. Into white.

"By my mother's backside!" Kull cursed beside her, letting the cannon sag, "what kind of people did you get involved with?"

"There's more that you don't know, and things I don't even want to know anymore. That girl is something else." Marly watched as the giant corpse fell back to stony ground, and Pyrrha casually jumped off back to the wall. _If only you weren't here, yes, get rid of you and I could get back to my misery._ She shook her head, trying to clear the fog that wrapped around her thoughts. _Wait, why would I think that? She's a fellow Huntress, a damn fine one. I'd never want her dead._ The fog drifted away, and she wondered why it had even been there in the first place. The stress of battle, the tiresome march. It must be weighing on her.

"So you don't think they're part of why this whole CTS business is happening? Sure they didn't have a hand in it?" He looked onward while she turned her gaze to his arms. They held the tales of many lifetimes, and she wanted to find out as many as possible.

"No, like I said, they just showed up yesterday. Came waltzing through the snowfield and yelled up at the guards." She omitted the part where they lied about their team and just what they were. _Unnecessary. I said I'd trust you, and I will._ "And the little red one, the one I told you took off to look for what was happening here? She's got an innocence that would make even soiled bedsheets blush."

Kull let out a long sigh as he rested the blade on scarred stones, looking back now at the two leaders resting from another Griffon strike. Marly watched the Nevermore she grazed lift off into the sky, flapping madly to escape death. A cloud of white flecks rose beneath it to saturate the area, and the two that were responsible for those stood facing each other.

"They kind of remind me of my team, how we used to act years ago. I'm still amazed we're even together now, so few make it past two years."

She glanced over at him, letting the short man's easy manner relax her aching mind. "Well, if I told you they almost weren't, would you believe me?"  
Rumbling picked up, swiftly overtaking the ground and uprooting stones driven downward for support. Marly felt her footing loosen, and she swung around to make sure everyone was okay to get away from the wall in time. A flash caught her eye. She turned to see a figure on a roof before feeling the full force of several blades striking home. They flew off of her, blunted by Aura, but she still sailed backward from the force. The edge came close, and Marly absently hoped Kull could stop her. The edge came up to her, and was behind her in an instant. Nothing below but the open air and field of Grimm remained.

"I'm holding it over you til the day you die, saying this was gonna be easy."

Marly Gideon, or just Gideon as they insisted on calling her, stood on the wall of a little three pot town called Passage. It was pretty important to say, having a direct link from Beggars Moor to the city of Vale proper. She'd been told it was for immigration and border control, possibly also to confirm trade and other delicate matters that couldn't wait. But it wasn't why she was here, no, she was here to escort a Director of Affairs in some talks being held with the Headmaster of Beacon. It was all just another day to her and her team.

The young man to her left straightened, letting a sword dangle at his belt freely. "Well Gideon, if I had known a giant Grimm was going to be stomping our way, I'd have told them on the five hour flight over."

Her leader, a strapping young man by the name of Dunav Grosham, was staring pointedly out over the field, watching their guest slowly trundle toward them. He was a capable man, handy with the slim blade he'd crafted. It was one of the handful of fourth generation combination weapons, a real marvel of ingenuity from the work of a professor at Atlas. Marly just carried Sonnenblume, a ruddy long rifle from the previous generation that was little more than pipe and trigger. But she was good with it, and that was all that counted for her class at Atlas.

They stood there in bleached uniforms, a mass of soldiery and discipline. And she hated it. Looking back, Marly watched the group down below shuffling about. The Director stood before a wizened man, a shock of white hair messily strewn about on his head. He glanced her way, and she looked into deep eyes that seemed to pierce through her tough facade, reading her soul like a book. She looked back, feeling the intrusion linger and fade. _He was such a kind fellow when I finally met him_.

The dull hum of engines began in the distance, signaling the approach of their relief. "Our betters our gonna be here soon. Ready to see what the real Huntsman can do Gideon?" The shrill voice of Tenebra Baskivale rang in her ears, and she lamented the poor girl's voice once more in her life.

"I'm sure they've got nothing on the best team of class B!" Gottfreige Dowsher, the last to make it in from initiation, the last to study, and the last to speak. She wasn't sure what to make of his praise.

"Relax, they aren't here to compete," her leader chastised," they are here because a bunch of second year students can't handle a death machine. I tend to agree with them."

She couldn't help but agree, they had succeeded quite a bit in the past, taking a high place in the last tournament they were allowed to attend. But this was far outside of their skill, and it could only end in sorrow if they were forced to take up their arms. Vibrations began rolling through the air, twin Dust jets sending a piercing note to them on the wind. The Bullhead rose up above the tree line, and Marly watched the small transport hurtle toward the village square. It soared by the tower that made this whole place even have a spot on the maps. _But I loved it there from the first moment I met the old man._

Touching down, Dunav motioned for them to go. Marly hitched her rifle up on its strap and walked down world worn stairs. They walked together toward the small transport, silent and steely eyed in the way they'd been taught. She walked uncomfortably next to Dunav, taking in the young man's determination to rise above where he'd been slotted in life. She shared the desire, but knew she couldn't betray who she was to get there. So they went toward the group that was stepping off the Bullhead in front of them.

Beacon Huntsman, the people who'd beaten them so many times in the yearly tournaments, they were the best of the best. And they didn't look it in the slightest. Two men, two women, each dressed in wildly different manners. The foremost was a man with slicked black hair, the look of a dullard, and the calm stance of a murderer. He watched the group approach with a small sneer, and Marly began disliking his roguish face immediately. They reached the team, and the taller of the two women stepped in front of the man. _I'm sure I remember him now, he hasn't changed much._

"So you're the team escorting him? Ship shape, but inexperienced." She spoke with a crisp, condescending tone. Her hair was long and unkempt, her eyes steel incarnate, and she held herself rigidly like a soldier on parade. "I'm guessing they only sent the runts because it's just an escort mission inside a kingdom. Looks like you get to be taught another lesson instead." She walked away, holding the long sheath of her blade close and stiff.

"Sorry 'bout that, she's usually... slightly nicer." The black haired man scratched the back of his head in anxious mirth. "I'm Qrow, and the ray of sunshine is Raven. The woman speaking with your Director is Summer, and behind her Tai Yang. Those two are a bit better at this social thing then the two of us."

A slight cough brought their attention to where Summer and the Headmaster were conversing. "Well, students, I spoke with Miss Rose here, she says they are ready to help us with our problem," the Headmaster said softly. He looked relaxed, but the tension was there behind his calm demeanor.

"We're just happy to help," the diminutive Summer Rose spoke beside him, "I know it isn't your fault, so please bear with us a little." _Summer Rose, so that was her name. I'll have to tell Ruby when I see her._

"I'm ready to take out some of the stress from that ride," Raven growled beside her.

She looked over with a sorrowful look in her eyes, the discs of silver reflecting the haughty figure of her teammate. "We'll have more than enough to do when we-"

"I'm going to kill it, and that's it. I don't need any more help doing this simple thing." And the steely woman walked away, toward the wall where Marly had just been. A blond haired man ran after her, matching her pace at an intimate distance and gesturing slightly as he spoke with her.

"I'm... sorry for my friend's manner. She's just eager to get started." Summer slowly walked away from Marly's team, keeping her body tightly bundled inside a white cloak. Marly watched her approach the two still talking, but not join with them. She seemed alone among a team, despite her apparent leadership position.

"Well, I'm sure you've got our backs in case sis over there causes any more problems. I'll go join up with our illustrious leader and the sheep dog. Maybe we'll talk when we get back, pick up some tricks from you four, maybe talk about the new weapons I've heard about." Qrow sauntered away toward his team, a picture of calm assurance in the face of danger.

"How in the world are those four a team still?" Dunav blurted out in exasperation, looking at the rest of his team for answers. Marly felt much the same way.

 _I wasn't certain in them then, didn't have the experience to tell them this was going to be a fight for their lives. To put aside whatever was bothering them._

"Get up! You need to get back in the fight you fool!"

A man's voice, smooth yet graveled from years and years of abuse. Marly's eyes snapped open, staring at the clear blue sky and focusing on a passing fleck of black. A sharp crack of gunfire shocked her upright, and she gazed out over where she was now. _It's not eighteen years ago, it's the now. No more lessons to learn, just work to do and people to protect._ The Grimm were surrounding the town, an ocean of blackened maws and claws that held no remorse. And before her was a man from the past, come once more into her life.

"You idiot, I can't stay here all day, I've got to keep moving!" Qrow yelled at her, sending several more rounds out from his sword shifted to a magnum. A Beowolf fell a short ways off, and the horde molded around the gap. They held back slightly with the nervous shuffling of fear evident on their bodies. Marly wrenched he rifle up from its resting place by her side and stood with its aid. _Never drop your life, first rule they taught. Maybe that academy was good for something._

"Are you loaded?"

She answered by sighting down a Deathstalker clamoring through the ranks of lesser Grimm. The bolt was still closed and she slowly squeezed the trigger, forgoing her usual methods in favor of shutting the smug rogue up. The familiar sharp burst of sound slammed into her ears as a large shell flew outward toward her prey. An explosion of grey surrounded the squat monster's mask, and as the cloud cleared a gap in the chitin was plain as day. Qrow took aim and finished the beast off with a volley of magnum rounds into the hole she created.

"Good answer, now let's get back to business. What's going on with Ruby and her friends? All I saw was a couple of you on the wall before the Goliath took it down."

Marly reloaded her rifle and placed the butt of the weapon on the ground, letting it take some of the ache she felt from her fall. "Ruby should be safe in the town, she went looking for why all these Grimm came out here. The rest are following a plan to fall back and get the civilians out, Jaune came up with that one. He's not too bad at the whole leader thing."

"And you would know? Anyways, I need you to go back to Passage, they are going to need you if this keeps getting out of hand." He began to turn away from her, letting the tension he held leak out into the world.

"She's so much like Summer, you know that right?"

The man whipped his head around, fire erupting in the glare he gave to her. "What would you know about her? She was the best of us, and... she couldn't have gone at a worse time. I couldn't do anything to stop it either." He marched back into her face, letting the anger radiate into it.

"And I'm guessing that's her daughter then? She's the spitting image, down to the timidness. And the way she fights, not so much full of life as raw determination." She stared back into fiery eyes, calmly dispelling the fog of the past.

Qrow leaned back, frowning at the callous woman. "You know something. So let's hear it."

"You really don't remember that day so long ago? I guess it makes sense, I didn't remember it until traveling with those youngsters." She shifted on her rifle, trying to make some comfort. The Grimm were still held back by a dread from the death they'd dealt up above. "I'm sorry to hear you also lost someone, it wasn't easy for me either."

Color began draining out of the old Huntsman's face, and the dawning of realization gave way to humility. "Oh... that day. Yeah, I remember it a little. That's why you seemed so familiar, you and Passage. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's in the past now. And it looks like you ended up in the same boat. Amazing how few teams stay together."

"True, those kids almost wound up the same as me... or you."

Marly began walking toward the Grimm line, preparing to fight her way back toward the tree line. "So you're going to go with them? You seem to believe in what they plan on doing, why else would you let them go, Headmaster?"

"I'm no leader, just the patsy who got stuck with a job." She looked back to take in Qrow's figure. Still unkempt, roguish, and wily as the fox. But an iron stuck to his body, his hair tainted by time's passing. He was still the same Huntsman she saw in Passage, cool and collected. And burdened now with new stories and lives. "I'm not even sure what's going to happen, only that the people responsible mentioned Haven. It's all we've got to go on."

"Then you need to get going. The white one, Pyrrha, she's going to fight til the end. And Jaune is most likely going to be there by her side. That means Ruby's gonna need someone to watch over her."

"The other two?"

Marly gave him a quick smile. "They'll follow their team, I'm betting they don't want to lose the girl again."

"So you know about that too? Guess Oz was right, so many people are going to turn their attention to her if she turns out to fit that old story."

She turned away, glad that Mertin and her weren't crazy in believing she could be out of legend like that. _Your grandfather heard it from his, and he'd heard it from yet another one. Down the line into history, before Dust, before we could even think of how to fight back against the Grimm._ With shaky steps she walked onward, facing forward toward the wall of darkness. She rummaged around in her pouch, counting the shells she had at her disposal. _Oh, you guys are gonna hate me after this._ Taking rifle in hand, she pulled it up to her cheek and sighted down the line.

"When you see Ruby again, tell her she'd make an old Atlas Huntress happy if she never changed."

And Marly fired, letting the full force of her rifle's cartridges slice through the enemy. Racking the bolt far too fast, she fired again. The smell of Dust invaded her nostrils as she fished out three new rounds, deftly loading them in her calm haze. Again. And again. And again. She let their force slice the path before her. _So much waste, yet it was all for the best. I'll be back soon._ The din of fire ceased as she loaded the third batch of cartridges, savoring the wide gulf that lay before her in a sea of black flecks.

"I'll do that, Gideon," Qrow intoned behind her, preparing to enter the city, "Just make sure you're ready for when the call comes. I don't think they're through with Vale yet."

Marly marched forward into the clear field before her, shifting her rifle to a pick and daring anything to approach her. The walls of her path were strewn with wounded Grimm, and their fellows slashed and snarled as the Huntress who had slaughtered so many walked by. _If they only knew I have nothing but a handful of rounds left._ They didn't and so they held back from the incensed woman who walked by them. Out at the tree line a group began milling around looking across the field at her. No matter, she wasn't going to let them be.

A clearing, an area to let all the worlds problems move on by her. That was what Marly Gideon, or just Gideon as she'd long grown used to, had come across. It was familiar and foreign, the life that had been there the last time taken along with her short lived comrades. Marly slowed to a stop near a fallen tree, searching around for any unwanted guests before letting herself fall into a sitting position. _Maybe they'll be able to get a few answers in Mistral._ She stretched outward, shaking the fighting out of her muscles.

"Well, looks like I found a purpose again, huh Dunav? You wanted to rise above it all, but in the end I was the one who escaped." She spoke to no one, well, no one who would hear her anyway. It'd been so long since she thought about her class B days, and how she'd come so far from her fate. "Those five are an amazing sight, they really are something else here in Vale. But I think it's the white one who surprised me the most. So much talent, so much pain. And still she kept her eyes forward, searching for tomorrow."

She felt the grain of her rifle and appreciated the weapon once more, how it carried her through life on firm shoulders. _Distel really has been the only thing around for the last three years, since I left._ And now the times were shifting, change blowing on the wind. She'd learned about how peace would be a fleeting thing back in Atlas, how they needed to be ready for an inevitable and sad conflict. How they needed soldiers to fight and protect their country.

"How they wanted you and me and everyone else in our class to be sacrifices to their greed!" Marly knew why she shouldn't yell, but she stopped caring. They could all come at her at once and she would just tear them down, with her rifle, with the only thing left to her.

"And then I'd never see those smiling faces again, the warm sweetbread smell never wafting up the road. I guess you were right too, we have so many who rely on us." Marly sunk back down, letting the calm return as best it could. "I wonder why the other two joined up, willingly spitting on our name as Huntsman?" The thoughts she'd ignored for so long were seeping in to her mind, suffusing the gaps she'd long held. _Those five really do remind me of our old days, how we thought we'd change the world. But I think Ruby and Pyrrha are the ones who were really fated to from the start._ Her mind drifted, and she found herself back at a familiar place, facing a familiar face.

Dunav stood before her, and she studied the boy's frame, trying to determine what had made him so hardened to the world. It was a question she'd long had and one she never thought she'd answer successfully. So it became a bit of a game, one to play in the off hours. Marly focused on the shoulders today, noting the rounded nature, maybe from a heavy pack in his youth? Or just the way he was born, softer and less pronounced than even Gottfreige's miniscule offering. _I thought about it afterward, it was because of your duty to us that they were so rounded with time._

"Still thinking about what makes me tick Gideon? Or should I say Marls?" His words were soft, a rare instance that she savored when it happened. "I've told you before, this was all I could do after my parents were killed. I can't let anymore kids suffer that pain."

"I still think there's more to it." _There isn't, he was just so noble._

Dunav laughed a little. "Nope, just what I am Marls." He looked back at her, taking in the coat she'd been issued and her light hair held back by a rope. "What about you? I've asked before and you always shirk away, so how 'bout it?"

She looked back into his eyes, shifting uneasily. It was a good time to tell him, they were alone on the wall as the other two were talking with the Vale Headmaster below. "Well, first, please stop calling me Marls or Marly. You know they singled me out on my name, only answered when I used my other one." The instructors for class B had taken an initial dislike to her rebellious attitude and made it a point that they could strip what they wanted from her. "And... I don't want to say. I'm just here to be a Huntress, to do a job no one else can do." _I wasn't lying, but then, it wasn't the entire reason._

"I still think- oh, they're almost to the Goliath. Let's table this for another time, okay Gideon?" Dunav yelled down at the two still meandering, ordering them to his and her's side. Marly watched the team walking in the field, toward an enemy that she wouldn't be able to take down by her own hand. And they walked disparate. Raven was striding ahead of the group, taking great pains in keeping distance from the rest. Qrow was just sauntering around with Tai Yang, the blond haired man looking concerned over their teammate's attitude. And behind them Summer was just walking, still bundled up in her cloak and looking unprepared for the fight ahead.

"Do you think they normally look so uncoordinated?" Marly wondered, leaning on Sonnenblume to relieve her aching feet. "I remember that team from Beacon being pretty in tune with each other at the tournament a few months ago."

"I don't know, that Raven woman seems to be a hard one to get along with."

Steps behind them signaled the last two members of their team. "Who's hard to get along with? I try really hard to not yell at you all that much." Tenebra, always with a subtle dig at her teammates abilities, even if she did do well during training.

"No, one of that team, she's a real cold number." Dunav kicked a rock away, letting the simple motion break some of the tension.

Marly watched as they approached the beast, and she watched the tense opening moves play out before her. Raven drew her blade, standing in a stiff legged stance and letting her foe come to her. The other three waited for her strike. And it came, like thunder she dropped the blade when the Goliath dipped its head to sweep her away. And it merely blunted the strike, a great tusk slamming into the woman and sending her flying backward into Tai Yang's arms. Qrow raised his blade and the faint sounds of yelling came back to Marly and her team.

The blade shifted into an enormous scythe as the rogue charged forward, dodging the first tusk and leaping into the air to sink the mighty weapon into flesh. His impact sunk deep. And the Goliath's head swung around, throwing the would be slayer off into the distance. Summer threw her arms up and revealed the small body under her heavy garment. The two ran after Qrow, an unconscious Raven in tow. And their guest continued onward, keeping a moderate pace that would have it at the gates in a matter of minutes. _I didn't think it would be so painful_.

"They can't be gone. What are they doing?"

"It's no use, we can't let that thing get closer."

"They aren't back yet, it'll be here any minute."

"Then we'll do it, after all, that's what being a Huntsman is all about. The job no else can do, right Marls?"

And she found herself falling, the ground rising toward her at a rapid pace. The feeling of lightness washed over her, Gottfreige's semblance, and she alighted on the ground taking off into a light jog. The other three sprinted ahead, drawing blades and firearms aplenty. Marly sighted down her rifle, feeling the reliable weight of Sonnenblume lay on her hand. "I don't fear you, you fear me." And she fired, a great cacophony of noise as the Dust shell flew toward her target. No time to check if it flew true, she racked the bolt and slammed it closed to fire once more.

Under her hailstorm they ran, and she watched as Tenebra and Gottfreige flew into the air to strike with sword and shot. Their Grimm prey stood, unfazed by the massive rounds from Marly, and watched the two come soaring at venomous eyes. Rearing slightly, the beast roared out in fury. And her friends were sent sailing back towards her. Their bodies rolled along for a time, ending under a hundred yards away from her. Dunav stood alone, blade in hand as the Goliath bore down upon him. He stood at the edge of darkness, and Marly watched him turn back to her.

"No, don't."

And he left, letting the blade fall into segmented links around him as he ran toward his doom. Marly raised her weapon, frantically reloading the two shot reservoir and taking aim at the Goliath, letting fly as fast she could. Dunav danced between legs, letting his weapon slash and whip around in a dance of death. "We can do this." She focused harder, fingers flying as Dust capsules fell all around her. The hearing she'd prized for so long was gone, and still she fired. Her leader was in front once more, Marly paused to fill the rifle's hungry gut once more. He sprang forward, spinning with the full force of his martial might.

Tusks twisted, the beast's head jolted. And Dunav Grosham, the skilled leader who had held them together with grit and vinegar, was thrown to the ground. A great foot slammed downward, Marly watched it drop. She inhaled. Each agonizing second, each precarious thought. The lifetime, the ten lifetimes she waited for him to show any motion, any chance of escape. And it finally fell. Dunav, so strong and resolute, had been crushed underfoot. In an unceremonious moment her life was changed, altered forever. _I couldn't do anything to stop it._

Marly finally exhaled, letting her perceptions return to normal. She stood there, looking over the unconscious bodies of her comrades and their assailant slowly making its way toward where she stood. Leaden arms dropped Sonnenblume, the life drained out of her with it. She waited for her death, unable to bear the burden anymore. And it didn't come. Out in the distance a white cloak ran, it ran on wings of light and molten metal. Summer Rose ran with all her might, screaming an unheard cry of anguish. Along came the rest of her team, sprinting toward their foe.

Summer flew upward, the trail of molten silver reaching far behind her as hands flew inward to retrieve a strange looking shepherd's crook. Hurtling toward the Goliath, she detached the head from haft and latched onto chitinous hide, letting momentum carry her along on a slim cable over the flank toward the head. Waves of energy flew toward the beast's hind legs, and Marly watched as Raven flung slash after slash in an effort to slow it down. Qrow and Tai Yang sprinted toward the leg, one wrenching upon it with scythe while the other was flung upward by the.

But it was Summer who had Marly's full attention, the sheer thrill her fighting had evoked caught her breath. She returned the crook head to her hands and swung downward, letting the silver haze around her follow with an incredible rush of strength. For the first time the beast faltered, and she reattached the crook to its hide to swing once more. On she flew, letting the dance of death that Dunav had started flow into her, but subtly changed into its own machination. Soft breezes filled with torrential gusts. A landslide all of her own. The very mountains groaning from effort.

And she looked at peace, alive and free in the movements. As if by music she fought, the dancer and orchestra in perfect synchronicity. Groans echoed across the field, the Grimm slowing. Down, on one knee. Now two. And Summer swung high into the air, soaring on wind that seemed to welcome her presence with open arms before letting her go back to an earthen home. Meteoric in descent, she raised the bladed crook, and pulled an unseen trigger. The silver ignited, truly molten now in nature. And she fell onto the monster's neck.

Marly stood there, still numb as the black torrent flowed up into the sky on peaceful breezes. Warm hands slowly embraced her, and she made out the small silver eyes of Summer.

"Don't let him go, don't let him become just another memory."

Slowly she reached around and placed an arm on the small woman's back, feebly embracing the only person who would show any compassion.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't come back any sooner. I couldn't... I'm sorry. That boy shouldn't have... we shouldn't have..."

The strength slowly returned to her, and she placed more force into the embrace. Trying to let the sorrow drain into this woman. The only one who had come to her.

"I... I can't say anything. Nothing to fix this. I'm... sorry."

 _I'm sorry as well, that we couldn't see what was in front of us, how they were pulling apart on that day. I'm sorry I never told you, how I was trying to break free of my station in life, selfishly trying to become infamous and leave the dirty life I came from behind._

Marly Gideon opened her eyes, not caring how her name had gone or who thought about it anymore. She gazed upward at the sky, the sun beginning to droop into the evening time. _I've still got a ways to go._ She reached over to rub the grain once more on Distel, letting the familiar texture calm her mind. They had gone back to Atlas after the mission, Vale giving even more in concessions because of the attack. Ozpin had personally spoken to her, expressed his condolences in the most diplomatic manner. She stood before the General back in the academy, squared up to his shoulders the best she could. And she refused the replacement he appointed her. _I may be leader now, but our fourth is still with us, til the day we fall he'll be with us._

She lifted the rifle upward and set the butt down to lever herself upward. The trail was still fresh, a line where six Huntsman had traveled through to save a town. And now one would walk back to stand vigilant. _My purpose huh? To fight back, selflessly give? A far shot from my selfish old self._ Marly Gideon began marching, toward her home, toward her duty. She gave her thoughts on far to the fallen, knowing that they could rest with her standing over their charges. Somewhere a man and a woman rested, life given in a common goal. And Marly thought on the woman's successor, the little ball of innocence and righteousness who would change the world. _You'll do fine kid, you've got too many people watching out for you._

Nightfall, and the walls were silent. Marly walked haggardly toward the gate, shouting as she went. The domed helmet of a watchman peeked over and the muffled cries to open the gate sang into the night sky. The old Huntress stepped into Passage changed, a person who had been found among the winding winds of time. She walked into her home, the same place she'd left the morning before with five young upstarts. Marly saw that they had left her mark when she saw the people looking onward at her approach, staring starry eyed out of doorways and windows. _That girl has ignited something more here._

"Captain Gideon, we... well, we've been getting all kinds of chatter on the radio ma'am."

She turned to look at the fresh faced boy who spoke. New to the trade, he hadn't grown into the old armor of wartime Remnant and didn't have the baton in his back yet. But his eyes shown with a light that shocked Marly. _The story, it really is true. That means they'll be going too?_ She nodded her head, letting him lead her to the tower control room. Inside dust from the last month made itself known, and Marly sat down at the microphone. Turning the dial to hone in the signal, a familiar voice began sounding off from the speakers. _Well now, if I still had any doubts, they're gone now._


	6. Chapter 5

White Gold: A Day in Winter

A quiet radiating inward, the soul that hadn't known peace and quiet in so long. Warmth, it was a warmth she had felt then, that she felt before, that she feels now. Not the warmth of the hearth, of a long winter's night spent bundled next to loved but a warmth of renewal. The feeling of being brought once more unto turmoil and strife. Passion, that was what Pyrrha Nikos felt as she stood bare before the only person in the room. Glynda was rummaging through several drawers, gathering undergarments and liners for the item she'd come to retrieve.

Pyrrha looked back at the gift she was being given, at the ornate carving and detailed inscriptions lining the magnificent suit. _This isn't mine though, just another expectation._ Still, she did feel grateful for the thought, that she was some mythical figure out of legend. Pyrrha had always wanted to live up to the stories her mother had told to her before bed, make her own story that other moms would tell. Maybe one she would tell her own son or daughter. If she was able.

"Alright Miss Nikos, if you would please try these on?" Glynda laid out a full set of garments, and Pyrrha slowly pulled on the linen. It felt good to get back to a state of dress, not that it had bothered her too much. But slowly she had been feeling quite uncomfortable alone with Glynda in her skin.

"Good, they fit well. Now on to the armor. I'm sure you are familiar with it?"

Slowly approaching the armoire, Pyrrha reached out and felt the metal and leather, caressing edges and tooling that spoke a different tale. She felt over the usual spots, the ones that always chafed a little. And they were smooth, soft as a beach pebble to the touch. Pyrrha checked other areas, and they were all pristine and soft. _This isn't something that was simply made, this is a work of art._ Looking back at the tall woman, she searched for any more clues. She only received a simple nod to proceed.

The breastplate fit snugly, a near perfect fit for her frame. _I guess an eternity can make the measurements a bit of a guess._ Tightening the piece, she felt along for the rope ends at the top before finding them at the bottom. Polished material greeted her hand as she fingered the nubs concealing the tied ends. Pyrrha found every piece, from the new pauldrons and headdress to her familiar greaves and bracer, to be of such quality. It all was comfortable, maybe a little small but certainly not tight.

"That armor is essentially the same as when it was made. Thousands of years of history, in a few pieces of metal and leather." Pyrrha looked at the teacher, and she saw a face beaming with pride. "The weapons on the other hand, those were made by an artisan just before the war. Those were the instructions, the armor is to be untouched but the weapons were to be as new as possible."

"I don't know what to say."

Glynda walked up to her, staring deeply into verdant eyes as Pyrrha stared back into her reflection. "You'll say more with what you do. At least, that's what one of the versions say."

"Versions? I thought you said that the legend was about me coming back, and being a guiding light? Are you saying that's not all?"

The reserved woman finally looked away, frowning into the ground. "We weren't sure," she spit out, the words feeling like venom on Pyrrha's ears. "It's incredibly old, and only a few things overlap, mostly about kings and peasants." She flicked her crop in frustration, looking around at the vault of treasures. "Even the whole return thing is only around in most of them."

Pyrrha felt her heart sink just a little, the truth cutting out more of her girlish fantasies with each passing word. So it wasn't going to be a glorious thing, but just a chance happening that brought her back? So be it, she would be that chance if she had to. _I'm always what they want me to be, no complaints, no regrets. But that's a lie, isn't it?_ Pyrrha's mind ached slightly, the memories slowly but surely surfacing once more. Through the mist a familiar face shone just a little brighter.

"Now, there's just one more thing to do. Are you up to it?"

She nodded her assent, not questioning what the task could entail. Glynda walked over to the armoire and picked up the white blade and shield, hefting the old weapons and appreciating them. And they were in the air, held by unknown forces and pointed straight at Pyrrha. Lethal blade flew and protective shield followed as the fight commenced in the small space. Pyrrha side stepped the weapon to take the brunt of the shield onto her shoulder. The force proved too great and she fell to her knees, spinning her head to track the blade. It swept upward, moving in an unnatural arc as the wielder flexed her might. And it soared downward.

Pyrrha stretched out her arm, knocking the shield away with a forceful blow before rolling under the swords flight. Her hand shot up, but she missed the weapon sailing overhead. Her opponent slapped the crop on her thigh, the displeasure rife on her face as Pyrrha failed to live up to expectations. _I can't do any more, what do you want?_ And still they fought, Glynda sending the gifted weapons toward her in swooping, deadly strikes time and again. Each time Pyrrha got a little closer, just a little swifter, a little better. And it stopped, the weapons settling on the ground before her.

"Miss Nikos, what are you doing?" Glynda snapped, the words breaking through Pyrrha's trance. "I know for a fact you should be able to wrest those from me without issue. So why aren't you?"

She knew the truth even if her mind moved lethargically toward it, cogs slowly turning as conscious thought began catching up to her. "I'm not sure what you want me to do."

"Your Semblance! Snatch the sword up, fight me as if your life depended on it."

So she did, or rather, she would have. Stretching as far as she could, the tendrils were just beyond her grasp. Pyrrha could feel the comfort, the familiar ebb and flow of her soul just beyond mental fingertips. She pushed, and pushed even further, before she pushed past it into something new, something foreign yet comfortable. It surrounded her, penetrating the very depths of Pyrrha until it could be known as Pyrrha itself. Soothing whispers replaced what had been shouting commands, tickling the ear now as she regained her senses.

"I'm not sure, but I can't... seem to use my Semblance. I don't know, it's just out of reach. I'm sorry." Her words rang hollow, emanating more from herself than around her. It made Pyrrha feel like she'd lost something.

"That... isn't possible. You can't lose a Semblance like that. You should know this, it's a manifestation of our souls. For it to be gone..." Glynda's face slowly drained of color, a pale visage turning nearly translucent with fear. "Are you sure you can't?"

Pyrrha shook her head. It wasn't for lack of trying, it just wasn't within her grasp anymore. And probing further felt like a fire trying to rush down the line to her very core, something that felt decidedly different from just a moment ago. In fact, Pyrrha was feeling more at home with herself than just a moment ago, the limbs that were hers finally feeling like actual human flesh. It was as if she had woken up once more, this time as a person and not an idea.

"It could be. But there's... Pyrrha," Glynda bit her name off, her first name, "you are you, right? Wait, of course you are. Let me rephrase that, you feel like you, right?" The woman's normally calm demeanor was quickly deteriorating.

"I'm still me, it just feels like there's... more?" She didn't know how else to explain it, it felt like the brief instant in the pod. When another life was being pressed onto her own, the unnatural smothering of emotion and thought. But it was also like a warm blanket, wrapping around and warming a cold and tired body. Pyrrha picked up the off-white weapons, hefting them and appreciating the quality in their make.

"So it might just be that. Why Ozpin, why couldn't you just tell me?" The woman paced around the small room as Pyrrha watched her slowly unravel before she turned on her with a dark look in her eyes. "You're positive it's like that? Of course you are. You never lie. So if it is just like you say then there can only really be one answer." And she fell silent, Pyrrha relieved that the tirade had died down from the once calculating and controlled teacher. Long moments passed.

"Miss Goodwitch? Is there something-"

"There is a single version that states, in no real certain terms, that the one who returns travels accompanied. That's it, and it changes depending on translation. But the best Ozpin could summarize is that 'something not on this world comes back' and he left it at that. It seemed like such a long shot, only one version mentioning it." Glynda stopped her rambling to eye Pyrrha up and down.

"You have no semblance, because you aren't entirely human anymore."

Cacophonous noise, the sounds of battle and struggle, these were Pyrrha's lullaby as she moved in the deadly dance toward her eternal sleep. Sliding to a kneeling stance, taking Thnitos in hand as a rifle, she slung deadly projectiles at her opponent. The Goliath ignored the pinpricks as it swung a mighty tusk toward her. Pyrrha leapt out of the way, letting the deadly bone protrusion sink deep into a shop front and destroying more of the humble town. _So much history, gone in an instant. This is what war can do._ Idle thoughts floating in the recesses of her mind. She couldn't deny Glynda's last words to her anymore.

"I will not go into this night." The whisper invigorated her, driving weariness away from her bones for another few moments. She was past her limit, the Aura that was Pyrrha gone with the passing wind. The fight with Slate had drained her, the Nevermore had drained her, and now she was empty in the face of a greater foe. Still she stood, employing the breadth of her martial prowess in a bid to stall the titanic beast for a few moments longer. _You enjoy this, trying to be the hero at the cost of your life._ It was true, she did find a certain poetry to it. But it wasn't a hero that fought, just a Huntress doing her job.

"Hah, so this is how we go out? Carried... to our deaths... by kids?"

Jaune stumbled along the street toward the docks, the bulk of Raudon weighing him down despite the strength he'd cultivated. _I'm still not strong enough. I'm sorry Pyrrha._ He ran along with Silesta and Kull carrying their own weights from Vallis, Nora and the boy who had stabbed Raudon. Ren scouted ahead, probing the various side streets and alleys for any sign of danger. So they went, a staggering mess of a team led by his dismal efforts.

"Boy... boy, please listen." Jaune tried to ignore the man, but it was becoming apparent that he was on his last legs. "You did well... I'm sure n-no one tells you this but you did."

"Save your strength, we're almost there." It was true, the boats were in sight now and Jaune could see the last people being crammed into one. The guard had kept his word, leaving one last one for the Huntsman to use. He shifted the large man along his shoulders, finding new reserves of strength to carry out the last leg of the trip.

"It was so beautiful, this place. We were only here for a month, but it felt like I really... got to know this place. These people." A slight cough cut off any more words.

 _Please, just hold on._

"Captain, please. You need to save what little you have left," Silesta stated, trying to calm her leader. "We'll have time to reminisce on the boat, so please, stay strong."

Horns bellowed in the distance, warning calls as ships large and small departed with their precious cargoes. Jaune let his mind wander while he drudged through the fatigue in his legs, trying to clear the last hundred yards or so. _We're so close, but what then? We'll be drug through the Mistrali legal system, not to mention no one being able to account for us._ It was a question they'd avoided asking when the plan was made, preferring to focus on saving the lives that were trapped before them. He'd used the full breadth of his intuition, and it had only provided a meager plan to use. _It had to do, it was all that could be done._

"Boy, this is important," Raudon broke in with unexpected force, "they don't teach you what I'm about to tell you."

They'd arrived, and it was finally time to look at the final verdict on their wounded comrades. Ren stood watch, a wary eye to each of the approaches while Jaune went to check on Nora. The woman was hurt, but she wasn't visibly wounded in any way. She was a tough one, and Jaune felt she would pull through anything that had happened back in the fighting. Vallis was in much the same way. A thunk marked Silesta tossing the boy onto the pier. Jaune saw he was still breathing, a relief that they still could save someone who might be so rotten. Finally he glanced over at Raudon.

"This is... important." Raspy breaths marked the full extent of his wound. _He' not going to make it._ Jaune looked over at Silesta and Kull, noting the same realization on their faces.

"It's ok, we're here. Go ahead."

Raudon heaved himself upright, sputtering as he shifted to lean against a post. "They... they don't tell you what h-happpens when someone dies. On a team." Jaune watched as he looked at each person around him. "The team will try and carry on, sometimes getting a new member. But more often than not they break-up, and that's it. Their time at the academy or in the field ends."

Jaune stood there, letting the words sink in. He'd never thought about it before, all the teams at Beacon had been together before the tower fell. _And what about us?_ He thought on the road they'd traveled, the purpose they had in common. _We weren't really a team, just a bunch of kids out for vengeance_.

"We were different, us four. Kull, I'm sorry to have placed all the burden on you." The squat man nodded at his leader. "But we pulled through, we were here now... to pass it on to these youngsters. Jaune."

Raudon met Jaune's gaze with a fury that would make any Grimm shrink back in fear. "But how?"

"We have to be there, as leaders, as captains, to be strong for everyone. You. You do it without even realizing it. But... you need to start believing in yourself."

Jaune tore his eyes away, feeling the shame rising. "I've never done anything-"

"Enough of that. You've got three people here following you, two more who believe in you. And you think you've failed somehow? You have something that can't be taught, you can think!" Raudon's gaze pulled Jaune back in. "Cherish that time. I didn't, I regret it every day." Kull knelt by him, taking a gnarled hand up. "We... we did the best we could. You have the chance, to do better. Just... believe in yourself..."

Slow shuddering breaths rumbled out of the big man, his eyes closing in quiet agony. His attendant knelt by him, holding a hand that was slowly going limp. Light gasps floated on the air from off behind Jaune, the same sounds that were slowly emanating from Kull in front of him. He'd only known the man for a short time, yet there was a common understanding of station between them. Raudon hadn't shied away from his duties, he embraced them to his last. Trying to cheer on his team, to let them be better than he was.

"I just... I'm not strong enough."

A firm hand grasped his shoulder, forcing him into the damp azure eyes of Silesta. "That man gave everything he had, and you aren't strong enough to honor that sacrifice?"

Jaune tried to respond, tried to find any words to validate his own failings. And they wouldn't come. Or rather, they couldn't come out. Rapid footfalls saved him from the argument as a burst of rose petals peppered the scene before him. Ruby ran at full tilt, charging down the street in a flurry of her trademark petals. Nothing followed her and Jaune felt a short relief before noticing the entirety of that observation. No one else was following her.

"Jaune! Is everyone-" She broke off her words as soon as she saw Raudon. "Oh no, but he wasn't... what about his Aura?"

"It's internal," Kull said from his place beside the ailing man. "The knife drove too deeply into his back."

Ruby's arms dropped, the scythe she carried digging deeply into cobbled stone. The sea breeze pulled on her cloak as more horns blasted in the distance, a dirge for the soon to be departed. Rising noise challenged the horns, scrabbling claws and vicious snarls erupting throughout the town as Grimm overran the once peaceful streets. Between all of this chaos, Jaune stood with the remains of two teams and a young girl desperate to fight against it all.

"Ruby, where is Pyrrha?"

The slight girl snapped out of her shock, wrenching Crescent Rose free of the hole it had made. "She stayed behind... Jaune, she's back there trying to hold off that monster."

 _No. But she wasn't supposed to go. She said so._

The braying calls of Beowolves mixed with the bassy roars of Ursa permeated the air now, closing in with each passing moment.

 _But what can I do? I'd just get in the way, maybe even get myself killed._

"Jaune, please snap out of it."

 _I just have to leave her again. She would want it that way._

The blast of gunfire from Ruby's weapon pulled him from his dreary thoughts. His hooded companion was bearing down the pier, unloading round after round into the quartet of Grimm barreling their direction. Ren stood by and let a light barrage of bullets join the crowded skies. Jaune watched as their targets fell one by one. _I can't keep up, why should I worry Pyrrha like that?_ Ruby pulled a fresh magazine out, loading the massive weapon before walking up to Jaune.

"What are we going to do? I'm not sure how long this boat can stay here." Her words piled onto a mountain of worries. "I need to know what we should do. Jaune?"

He felt at the blade he'd carried with him since he left to try and realize his dream. Beacon seemed like a distant memory now, a time when he was just a simple kid trying to get through a simple life. That had been his wish anyway, before he was saddled with the responsibility and burden of leadership. Jaune had friends now, close colleagues who accepted who he was and where he came from. He had someone who believed in him.

"We need to go," he breathed out, feeling the dagger to his heart, "this boat can't stay here any longer."

Ren stepped up beside Ruby, a light mist revealing his exertion. "If that is what you think is best."

"But what about Pyrrha?" Ruby's voice held a pleading tone.

We'll trust her word. That was what he wanted to say, what Jaune Arc the leader knew he needed to say to see Ruby along her way. Instead he let the words languish on his mind while he walked toward the vessel.

"Jaune, please."

He knew what he wanted to do. And he also knew that his team and another needed to leave this place. Ruby ran up in front of him, placing a slender hand to his chest to stop him. Jaune looked down at the girl, trying to find a reason to stay there any longer. _It's what she wants._ He went to brush her hand away, the slow movement of signing a death warrant. For Pyrrha. For himself.

"Jaune. Someone once told me... that we only live as Huntsman to die. Please, I don't want him to be right." Ruby pulled her hand back and walked back to her position guarding the boats.

 _Don't let it slip by. Savor the time you have._

Jaune looked at the two mourners, Vallis dragged over to be with them as Raudon breathed out the fleeting life he had left. He looked over at Nora, breathing steadily and looking more at peace now. And the boy. Ren stood beside him, a stoic figure against the crash of tragic waves that had become their lives. Jaune couldn't fathom how he did it. He studied the man waiting for his leader's orders. And it was there, the subtle hints of concern, to do anything and everything to bring her back. _But... we need to keep moving forward._

"Ruby. You'll keep going, for all of us?"

The sprightly woman looked back at him, growls rising once more in the distance. Light glinted from silvered eyes on pale skin. A curt nod, the admission of what he was about to do.

"Ren, we're going back for her. Everyone else, it's time to go." As many people as possible, that was what he hoped to achieve from the plan in the beginning. They'll live.

"And you were going to... leave me?" Jaune looked back to see Nora struggling to her feet, a grin plastered on the warrior's face three miles wide. "We're going back? Good."

 _Nora, no, you can barely stand. You need to leave._ And he knew his thoughts wouldn't transfer to words. Ren didn't try to stop her, walking over to take the Magnhild from her so she could recover on the way. Silesta and Kull watched as they walked past, silently wishing them well as the trio began to make their way back toward the town. Jaune once again felt at the blade at his side, feeling the worn and abused weapon for possibly the last time.

 _I won't die with those regrets. I'll try and do better than you._

Huddled masses, the heat and stench overwhelming as he was crushed inside the hold of a large cargo vessel. They'd told him to pile in, that it was a matter of life or death and comfort was no more concern. Thankfully he had a small window to view out from, an escape from the nightmare that his life was slowly becoming. He saw his home, the town of Beggar's Moor, sitting nicely on the coast. And all through it the black veins stretched insidiously, covering what was once pristine with grime and death. Life had changed for him, but there was a hope. He'd only caught a brief glimpse of her, running away as it became clear they were no longer safe. The one in white, she'd stood shining in the sun against it all. And the man felt that he would be safe as long as she stood.

White, the color of cleansing, the purity of it all. Pyrrha could see it now as she flew through the air, sailing from another thrust of Aura. The Goliath tracked her, trunk flicking in irritation at the annoying moth pecking at it so. She couldn't harm it, the beast ignored her strongest strikes and she had only a faint grasp now on the foreign Aura she was abusing. White, she wore nothing of the sort. No purity, no cleansing of herself. It was flawed like her, it didn't reflect back the truth of her story. She would be their hope, by chance and completely devoid of fate.

 _And you really think this is all a chance happening_. Her thoughts weren't her own, and she felt it best to ignore such musings as the flights of fancy they must be. Pyrrha had come to terms with her situation long before reuniting with her friends, how she was no longer quite one of them. _I'm sorry Jaune, Ruby, I should have just told you all what was wrong._ It shouldn't have bothered her so much, that she was no longer quite the person she knew. But it did, the face she'd known was gone, the person in the mornings scared her. Her Semblance was gone, a part of her she'd never been without stripped without a care.

Pyrrha slammed into a smooth tusk, using her shield as a ram to pull the beast away from its path. It budged slightly before her foe pushed back, forcing her away from it. She pulled in her arms, and the monster surged at her. Pain shot through her arm as a tusk slammed in to her shield, sending her down to the ground below. Pyrrha slammed into the stony road, feeling the fine lines of her armor roughen and scar from the impact. Searing flames erupted along her entire body as bones creaked and muscles tensed from unmitigated injury. She was at her end, the mammoth Grimm slowly trundling over to her limp body. A tear flowed down her cheek. Light dimmed as the Goliath lifted a leg above her. It fell.

Thunder shook the ground, pulling Pyrrha's eyes upwards as she expected her death. Instead, the shining light of an Aura radiated outward.

"Pyrrha, I know you wanted to look for me. But I'm going to be right by your side, so you won't have to look far."

Jaune stood above her, shield upraised with the foot of the Goliath suspended on a cushion of radiating Aura. He stood there ablaze from the energy of his soul. And his knees were buckling, the strain to great for the boy. Pyrrha admired the sentiment, but it would be to no avail. At least she could stay with him as the whispers of sleep enveloped her. Her vision clouded, a stream of tears gathering as she saw the familiar fate fast approaching.

An explosion off to her side. And the unfamiliar yelling from Ren getting closer, the green figure tackling an exposed tusk. Pyrrha watched as the man slashed and flourished at the tusk before placing his hands to it. A wave of pressure shot downward and buffeted her, the Goliath shifting slightly. He heaved himself upward into the air. And a moment later the flying form of Nora came crashing into the tusk, war hammer slamming the bone with immense force. A crack formed and the beast lifted its foot upward in pain. Jaune swung at the exposed flesh, sending the entirety of his force into the single slash. It connected. And Crocea Mors broke, the blade spinning free to clatter on the stones nearby.

Jaune stared at the jagged remnant for a moment before throwing the weapon's remains at the Goliath. A strong arm wrapped around Pyrrha as he wrestled her to safety, following in turn. The ground shook as her monstrous foe thrashed around in pain it must not have endured in years. _Nora. Ren. Please don't stay here. You can't do anything._ Jaune pulled her up to her feet, wrapping an arm around his shoulder as they began to stumble away from the chaos. Pyrrha had almost nothing left, the call to the grave demanding to be heard.

"Pyrrha, stay with me. We're going to get out of here, to the tower. Just hold on."

They crashed through the door to a small shop, knocking over several knick knacks as Jaune tried to carry her weight through. Light gunfire erupted outside, a bale roar rattling the windows with answering intensity. Pyrrha felt a light strength returning to aching limbs, enough to at least bear her weight. They stumbled along toward the back of the store, ground rumbling as they went. What if they found any more Grimm? Pyrrha didn't want to think of such a fate, an unarmed boy and a frail girl.

Finding a door out, they emerged on a back alley. Still nothing in sight, Jaune led her down the alleyway toward the wall. Toward the source of a scourge she couldn't eradicate. Winding through a network built up from years of existence, the pair traveled along toward a barrier collapsed. Death sounded all about them, the reminder that it was no longer the safe little town anymore. They traveled along an elaborate maze, one wrong turn and the game would be over.

"Pyrrha, please, I need to hear you. Anything, I don't care. Just... don't leave."

Her throat was dry, barren from the fight with the Goliath. "I'm... no, I knew... please, for later." Her mind didn't comprehend the meaning of the words, but she felt like it was the right thing for now.

Jaune seemed to accept it at least, and Pyrrha let her mind rest in the bumpy rhythm of their flight. _They'll stay by you, just hold on._ It wasn't a pleasant thought, but among the fears and worries that had invaded her mind she felt a certain comfort. That someone, or something, had some hope for the future. _I don't have a choice but to hope, it's all you should have too._ Flights of fancy, they had to be that or else she really was losing her mind.

"Pyrrha look, Ren and Nora made it," Jaune exclaimed, pointing at a rooftop. Pyrrha watched as two figures made their way along the edge, slowly walking along with an air of exhaustion. "They stayed longer than needed, but we're all still here."

"Jaune. The boats, are they...?"

He looked at her with a soft smile. "They're all gone by now. And it's all thanks to you."

 _All thanks to me?_

Ruby Rose, the girl who'd been pushed ahead in her training, the girl who once lead a team of her elders. She wasn't about to let those things go to waste, she wasn't going to let a simple thing as a wall of Grimm stop her story here. Ruby laid the blade of her scythe down and took careful aim. Only the two streets to the side from their pier were spewing Grimm, the center remained clear up to the black mass of the Goliath. _Pyrrha. You said you'd come back. I need to know, that we don't just die for nothing._ Roman's words on the airship had been repeating as soon as she saw Raudon sitting against the pole. _We have to make the world a little better, it's why we're here. Right?_

"I'll be ok, you two can get the rest of them onto the boat?"

"Are you sure?" The crisp voice of the woman Silesta.

"We can stay and fight." A gruff voice, Kull's.

"I'm the only one who can make it back to the boat once it sails, no one else is staying here." It was too dangerous to let them stay, they couldn't be much better off than Raudon. Best to take the brunt of the fight herself. The sound of Grimm stalking the streets was overwhelming, slowly coming closer with each passing moment. Crescent Rose felt firm to her hands, Ruby had an absolute faith in the massive weapon. _I'll stop them. I have to._ A Boarbatusk came rolling around the corner, slowing up and staring at the last boat. And the Huntress guarding it. Reckless hunger won out among its emotions as it began to roll up and gain speed. Ruby looked down the sight, training the weapon on the path her target was taking. And she fired.

It was the first of many shots, Grimm pouring out from the labyrinth of the town's many streets. Ruby kept at the slaughter, dropping monster after monster with precision and accuracy. _I need to thin them out, there's time to aim and think while they're so far away._ More rounds, more corpses lining the streets with inky clouds rising from them. The calls from the gangplank quieted over the brief time, the people who'd been shuffling up finally making their way inside. And the Grimm were getting closer. She fired at a shambling Ursa, and turned to face the second street. An enormous Beowolf was already on top of her.

Retracting the scythe head, Ruby pulled her rifle to cheek and let off a pair of snap rounds. Her target ignored the shots and closed the gap remaining between them with a grizzly leap. Spinning the rifle back around and extending the weapon to full length once more, Ruby took the fight to the beast instead. A quick push outward and she soared through the air at her prey, letting Crescent Rose sing as she slashed at its midpoint. The Beowolf thrashed through the air as she sailed by. Letting her finger rest on the trigger, she contemplated the angle of her attack. Squeezing slightly, she rocketed back at the beast. A slight resistance and it fell in two to the ground, Ruby landing swiftly on both feet.

A wail from the boat accosted her ears, the final departure signal. She smiled to herself, feeling a smug satisfaction as she prepared to make a run for the end of the short pier. And a dull thud joined underneath the piercing cry of the boat horn. Ruby turned to see an Ursa toppling backwards just within her reach, a large hole in its chest. She pulled Crescent Rose high in preparation for any other threats. And another dull thunk sounded just behind her.

"You're getting sloppy. Didn't I teach you better than that, to always be aware of your surroundings?"

A craggy voice, one that had been forced through innumerable hardships. Ruby glanced over her shoulder at the lithe figure of her uncle Qrow holding an oversized blade. Heat rose on her face as she let the reality that he'd saved her from the Ursa sink in. _Sloppy? I'm the only one here, trying to cover two streets._

Qrow chuckled a little as he looked at the scene. Grimm were still streaming outward, traversing the fallen in their path as swiftly as possible. "Hey, don't take it so badly. This isn't a spring picnic after all."

"I was doing just fine," she fibbed, trying her best to protect her pride.

"That big bear back there says otherwise. But the boat's leaving now. We should move."

Ruby agreed, and the two ran down the pier against a backdrop of blackened evil and carnage. She leapt at the end, feeling the familiar push of her Semblance send her just into the air and over the deck of the ship. Landing lightly, she turned to find Qrow missing. Panic gripped her while she searched around the entire pier, then the ship.

"Looking for something?" Ruby jumped at the words coming just behind her. "See? You've gotta keep an eye open in all directions. You'll figure it out."

A light rolling threw her balance off, and Ruby clutched the rope railing for support. She was out of her element now in more ways than one, Qrow prodding at her weak points as the boat tested her stomach. _It's alright, I'll just have to adapt. Or suffer. It's a toss up._ She hadn't expected her uncle to show up. She hadn't expected Pyrrha to show up, to be quite honest. But they had both arrived, and Ruby was grateful for them. Her mind was still racing from the fighting she'd endured, slowly returning to a normal pace.

So it came to this? She'd ran, and the people she'd been traveling with for nearly a month were back in that place? Ruby felt the tightening in her chest, the slight guilt at leaving them alone to face so much danger. _Is this what you did Pyrrha? You went and left us all so we wouldn't have to fight?_ She wasn't alone this time at least. But her conscience wouldn't let her rest peacefully. Ruby walked past her uncle, toward the rear of the ship. Cresting the stairs, the town lay stretched out before her as one long mass of blackened scenery. She walked over to the rope barrier and leaned on the coarse material, letting her mind begin to churn once more. _Will I ever do that? Could I, just leave it all behind me for them?_ Tumultuous patterns flourished through her mind, a slight pressure at the back of her eyes threatening chaos.

 _Given the need, you'd do the same._ A whisper on the wind carried the memory away.

"You okay kiddo?"

"Yeah, I'm just thinking about them. Pyrrha, Jaune. Ren and Nora too. They're still fighting, I can feel it."

"Those four huh? They've been through a lot. But she should be fine, and that boy has a lot more to him then he knows." Qrow's words warded off Ruby's melancholy slightly. "And the woman. I'm sure they'll all be fine."

"But what if they aren't?" The question surprised Ruby, pressure slowly building up within her.

Qrow looked over at her, a frown starting to crease his face. "You shouldn't think like that. They've got a lot of heart those four. I'm sure they'll-"

"And what if they don't? What if something we can't see shows up, or someone who's too dangerous? We fought one of Cinder's lackeys, and he did something to those people. And we couldn't do anything." She was beginning to shout.

"What's the matter? This isn't like you." His frown had deepened into a worried scowl, the old Huntsman shifting to place his full attention on her diminutive frame.

"I just can't stand this. We're even doing it right now! Having a conversation just moments after our lives were in jeopardy. And their lives are still in danger." Ruby didn't know when she'd pull Crescent Rose back out. "It isn't supposed to be like this, we're supposed to fight the bad guys and enjoy the good times. Not... lose friends all of sudden. Not when we were supposed to be celebrating."

She couldn't bear to hide from it anymore. The one person who she'd lost in front of her eyes. Penny, the robot girl Ruby barely knew. No, the girl she barely knew, always kind and bubbly. Innocent until the very end. Ruby saw herself then, the happy girl that she'd come to admire in the mirror every morning. She shattered, the mirror never to return her once happy self. Ruby was forced to give it all up to keep going, to fight for what she believed in. The pressure built to an unbearable level, threatening to overwhelm her and spill out onto the unsuspecting world.

And she calmed, the hand on her head pulling her back to the reality she'd known. "It's alright. I know how tough this is. It's not a perfect world though, and we need to keep going because of it. But look around."

Ruby did, trying to suppress the urge to fly off of the ship and back toward the town. She saw the other vessels, slowly plying outward into the deep blue of a clam ocean. People were lining the edges of some of the smaller ones, all looking backward at their lost town. Some cried. Others looked out with steely eyes. Ruby wanted to scream, to shout that it would be ok, they'd get it back and it would be better than ever. And she knew it would be a lie, a fleeting dream to try and ignore her failure.

"You're thinking that you failed, that you couldn't stop this?"

"Yeah."

"And what about those people," Qrow chided, sweeping his hand outward, "do you think you failed them? They're alive now because of what you did. Even if it didn't go perfectly, you still made a difference."

Ruby kept watching, seeing the people who were on their knees being helped up by friends and family. _I was there once. And Jaune too. We pulled each other out of it. And so did Pyrrha._ A hatch opened on their ship, the prim dress of Silesta slowly backing out with Kull carrying the body of their fallen leader. A thin man in worn leather walked out with them carrying thick metal gauntlets. Raudon's by the look of them. They carried the limp man over to the edge of the deck, settling him against a post to look out over the sea. Ruby watched as they gathered around him, a solemn look on each face.

"We did what we could captain, we did what we could."

"If it weren't for the miss in white I'd probably not be here now, seeing you off."

"Don't worry Rau, I never minded having to do all the thinking. Just glad we had so long together."

They stood there as Raudon slowed his breathing. Ruby saw the man's face slowly soften, eyes no longer twitching in pain. And she saw his lips curve in a slight smile. _Even if we're only here to die, maybe the good we do can live on past us._ His life slipped away quietly, the mourners shedding tears onto the deck as someone who Ruby never knew passed alone. But she did know him, for she carried on the legacy he'd maintained. She would stand in his place, a bastion against the ills of this world like so many before. Even if Ruby had to give up all of her innocence, forget even the memory of friends gone, she would stand.

"It's a hard life we lead Ruby, I didn't want to tell you before so you could have your childhood. Maybe we'll get it back once this is over. Either way, we have to keep pushing forward." Qrow's words were soft, trying to keep her safe while letting her fly.

"I know, we still have somewhere to go. Haven is our only lead, and it's where I'm going."

Qrow chuckled, a light sound against the somber backdrop. "Of course, always a one track mind. I'll try not to get in your way too much."

 _I won't let anyone die in vain._

More than once Jaune had thought about what he would do if he were a hero, someone other people looked up to. This wasn't a time for that, struggling through streets lined with Grimm and overflowing with danger. Jaune Arc, team leader, clueless rube, and all around failure was trying to save someone he'd lost once before. And it was finally going right. Pyrrha was standing mostly on her own strength now, stumbling along with her arm around his neck. They'd made their way through the maze of streets and had finally reached the wall.

"We're almost there Pyrrha, just a little further." His words were as firm as he could make them.

"They're following, but only at a safe distance," Ren spoke up behind him, "I've never seen Grimm act like this."

Jaune couldn't remember reading anything like it as well. All the history books were quite clear, they attacked relentlessly at the slightest provocation. But time and again he'd turned a corner to the sight of a Beowolf or an Ursa only to watch it stumble backwards and keep away from him. It wasn't the only new sight today. But for now Jaune only thought about taking advantage of the strange situation and getting to the radio tower. Gideon had mentioned it was a direct link back to Passage and from there to Vale. Maybe he could get a hold of someone, anyone to get them out of this town.

"It's just up ahead, I can see it now," Ren exclaimed, trotting slightly ahead. Jaune could see the tip of the tower just over a building now, they were heading right for it. The street turned sharply. And there stood a single Beowolf, lurking around the entrance to the small shack that held all of the tower equipment. Nora stepped up from behind Jaune, hefting her hammer with a mirthless grin.

"No, I want to see something." He didn't expect the words to jump out, but his idea was sound. Reaching over, he carefully pulled Pyrrha's sword from her hand.

"Jaune?" she said, looking into his eyes with worry.

"Don't worry, I just want to know." Why did they run? It wasn't normal.

He walked forward, brandishing the white blade as they approached the monster. And it backed away, shying back from the two of them. Or rather, it backed away from one of them. The beasts eyes never moved from Pyrrha, red orbs showing the one emotion Jaune never thought he'd see. _It's not possible. Is Pyrrha doing all of this, does she even know?_ A strong hand wrenched the blade from him, spinning it around into a rifle and firing on the Beowolf, dropping it in a flurry of rounds. Jaune looked at Pyrrha breathing deeply from the exertion.

"Please, let's just... get inside."

Her arm dropped, the strength she'd slowly built up gone once more. Jaune felt the weight of the woman pulling down on him again, and he stumbled forward toward the doorway. The corpse before him was starting to to disappear, a normal occurrence. It wasn't normal for it to dissipate into a white cloud. _All from her? But why?_ Jaune felt a dread at the coming answers, but it wouldn't matter if they couldn't find safety soon.

Slamming the door inward, Jaune followed Nora and Ren as they scoured the small room for any sign of danger. All clear, and he placed his burden down next to a table containing various books collecting dust. Her breathing was still steady, and Jaune took a moment to look over her for injury. The ornate armor was bent in several places, jagged in others. But it held up, he couldn't find any places where she was bleeding. Eyes fluttered open to look back at him.

"Are you alright?"

Pyrrha nodded her answer. "Jaune, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I didn't tell you. All of you."

"It's alright, there was just so much going on."

Pyrrha bit her lip, avoiding his gaze. "No, it wasn't that. I was just scared, of confronting it.

"It's alright, I'm sure-"

"I'm not a normal person anymore. There's something that came back with me."

Jaune felt his throat catch at the notion. "How do you know?"

"I... can hear it. It tells me things. And I can use it. It's also why I can't use my Semblance anymore."

The thought tumbled through Jaune's mind, gathering up the other evidence he'd seen. "So the mornings? Why the Grimm wouldn't attack us? The white clouds?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have kept it back. I was afraid of what everyone would think, of being alone again."

His heart fell, the train of thoughts running rampant in his head with all manner of errant ideas. _Can we trust her? I just thought it was the mornings, but this?_ Jaune couldn't stop worrying over the idea that he wasn't speaking to Pyrrha, or it wasn't her actions, or whether she wasn't saying the things from her mind. And a single light stood out among all those thoughts, the one thing he'd promised himself since she'd returned to him.

"Pyrrha, it's ok."

Her eyes snapped up to his, misty and reddened. "No! How can-"

"I made a promise to myself. That if no else stood for you as a person, I would. I'm standing by that promise, now and always."

Verdant eyes welled up with tears before she laid her head back against a table leg. "I hope it is as easy as you think."

"Even if it isn't, I'll be right here."

Pyrrha smiled softly, and Jaune got up to take a look at the radio equipment. _Looks like power is still up. Now... how do you operate a radio?_ Jaune had only ever used his Scroll, and he was only just getting the hang of it. The mess of dials and gauges were a foreign thing to the eyes of someone used to modern technology. Ren tapped him on the shoulder, motioning over toward the book by a large box. It read to flip the power switch, the channel was already set. _Oh, I suppose it was in use recently_. Jaune flipped the switch, the crackle of life surging forward. The book said to press a button on the side of the microphone. And he began to relay his message.

Qrow sat back against the rope, gazing out at a small fleet of ships. Large and small they bobbed on the waters, a lone song of engines resonating along as the lifeblood of a town rode to safety. _They're still ahead of us. Why am I trying to do this? I'm not you Oz._ The faces of several people were visible along his own vessel, long and somber. But there was something else, a fervent energy just underneath. One boy in particular had a look of sorrow, but his eyes told a different story. Fire, even that was too soft for the intensity Qrow saw. _Could it be from that girl? And we're going to unleash this on another continent?_ He finally settled his gaze on the slight girl he'd come to protect on the last part of their journey.

"She's doing fine Summer, just like you. There's a little of Tai in her too, that idealist is alive and well in her. She'll be safe, I promise." Qrow didn't know if he believed his own words, or if it was just to get through the coming storm. He pulled out the old worn flask, taking a long draw at the mild alcohol. _Not like I can worry about it now._

Taiyang had always been a hopeless optimist, trying to see the better aspects of people, uplifting them even at the cost of his happiness. He'd done it once before, tried to help a woman who'd only known strife and anger. Their daughter was now in the same predicament, and he didn't know what to do. Trying to reason with Raven had only led to arguments, fights, the occasional personal attack. Now Yang, the fiery girl he'd raised with his own two hands to be independent and caring, was moping in bed for the third day in a row. She'd gotten up to eat, they'd even talked a little. And then she just fell back into her rhythm.

"What should I do? I can't... she's my baby girl. I just want her to get back to normal." He spoke to no one, sitting out front of their snow covered house and watching the clouds drift on by. The familiar call of a raven pierced out from the forest.

A board, lined with pieces, familiar pieces from a bygone era. She moved one along, feeling the usual weight of tugging on a life string. The piece settled into its new spot, parallel from two others in the shape of a horse and a pawn. _They don't know what to do, they are scattered to the four corners._ She mused at how well her disciple had done, the chaos engulfing an entire continent and the world unable to react. All was going smoothly. Save for one thing.

On the side of the board were several pieces, some of hers, some of her opponents. Only minor pieces, things she could do without. But there was one on the other side she prized above the others for having removed it. A powerful piece, at almost no cost to herself. It was almost a stroke of luck that it was in the right place at the right time. Or arrogance. And it was back on the board, moving around as if nothing had happened.

Well, not nothing. She could see it making sloppy moves, placing itself in precarious positions. _Even if you are cheating, you play so poorly._ She pondered continuing in this manner. _No, if you are cheating, then we'll make it an even game again._ Picking up a recently lost piece, she placed it back on the board. Dark tendrils wrapped around the stubby bishop, molding it into a new piece never seen on the board before. _Let us continue._

"Kings hear, queens listen, peasants remember

When our time shortens, when the last lights flicker

The time that we cherish runs short

And all that we have will fall to dust

Take into your hearts the song

The song that will endure throughout time

Let in the one who can't go yet, who won't go

For they have a task yet to do

Shield them from the years

From the calamity and tears

Hold in your hearts

The song of awakening"

-The Song of Awakening, Unknown Version, Mistral Archives

To be concluded in The Song of Awakening

 **A/N: A big thank you to everyone who read this piece. It was enjoyable to make, and enjoyable even to read over the multiple times to get everything right. It isn't the end though, as the idea coalesced into a much larger idea that will encompass the events all the way up until a point like the center of an hourglass. After that, I think I'll lay this beast to rest to wait for V4.**


End file.
